Dictionary definition · extract
noun
- a solution obtained by steeping or soaking a substance (usually in water)
- a passage selected from a larger work"he presented excerpts from William James' philosophical writings"
verb
- remove, usually with some force or effort; also used in an abstract sense"pull weeds"
- get despite difficulties or obstacles"I extracted a promise from the Dean for two new positions"
- deduce (a principle) or construe (a meaning)"We drew out some interesting linguistic data from the native informant"
- extract by the process of distillation"distill the essence of this compound"
- separate (a metal) from an ore
- obtain from a substance, as by mechanical action"Italians express coffee rather than filter it"
- take out of a literary work in order to cite or copy
- calculate the root of a number
Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).