Meaning & Definition of Extract in English

1. A solution obtained by steeping or soaking a substance (usually in water)

2. A passage selected from a larger work

• "He presented excerpts from william james' philosophical writings"

1. Remove, usually with some force or effort

• Also used in an abstract sense

• "Pull weeds"

• "Extract a bad tooth"

• "Take out a splinter"

• "Extract information from the telegram"

2. Get despite difficulties or obstacles

• "I extracted a promise from the dean for two new positions"

3. Deduce (a principle) or construe (a meaning)

• "We drew out some interesting linguistic data from the native informant"

4. Extract by the process of distillation

• "Distill the essence of this compound"

5. Separate (a metal) from an ore

6. Obtain from a substance, as by mechanical action

• "Italians express coffee rather than filter it"

7. Take out of a literary work in order to cite or copy

8. Calculate the root of a number