1. Remove, usually with some force or effort; also used in an abstract sense
   "extract a bad tooth";
   - pull out, pull, pull up, take out, draw out, rip out, tear out
    
2. Obtain from a substance, as by mechanical action
   "Italians extract coffee rather than filter it";
   - press out, express
    
3. Purify or isolate using distillation
   "extract the essence of this compound";
   - distill [N. Amer], distil [Brit]
    
4. (mining) separate (a metal) from an ore
   "They extracted copper from the mineral-rich rocks"
    
5. Deduce (a principle) or construe (a meaning)
   "We extracted some interesting linguistic data from the native informant";
   - educe [formal], evoke, elicit, draw out
    
6. Get despite difficulties or obstacles
   "I extracted a promise from the Dean for two new positions"
    
7. Take out of a literary work in order to cite or copy
   "She extracted several key passages from the novel for her essay";
   - excerpt, take out
    
8. (mathematics) calculate the root of a number
   "The calculator can extract square roots"

1. A solution obtained by steeping or soaking a substance (usually in water)
   "The chef used a vanilla extract to flavour the dessert";
   - infusion
    
2. A passage selected from a larger work
   "he presented extracts from William James' philosophical writings";
   - excerpt, excerption, selection

Derived forms: extracts, extracting, extracted

Type of: acquire, calculate, choose, cipher, compute, construe, create, cypher, figure [N. Amer], get, interpret, make, obtain, passage, pick out, reckon, remove, see, select, separate, solution, take, take away, withdraw, work out

Encyclopedia: Extract, load and transform