extract
/ɪkˈstrækt/To take or pull something out from a place, often with effort or a special process. It can refer to pulling something physical out, or getting information or a substance from something.
- The dentist had to extract two of his back teeth.
- Scientists extract oil from sunflower seeds.
- Police tried to extract a confession from the suspect.
A short passage taken from a longer piece of writing, such as a book or article. It also refers to a concentrated substance taken from a plant or food source.
- The teacher read an extract from the novel to the class.
- Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract to the batter.
- The exam included an extract from a scientific report.
Adinary Nuance
Extract is often confused with remove and derive, but each has a different feel. Remove simply means to take something away from a place — it is broad and neutral (remove a stain, remove a file). Extract implies pulling something out from within something else, usually with effort or a process (extract a tooth, extract meaning from a complex text). Derive leans toward obtaining something through reasoning or transformation, not a physical process (derive a formula, derive pleasure from reading). In academic writing, extract (noun) and excerpt are close, but "excerpt" always comes from a text, while "extract" can be a passage or a concentrated substance like a plant extract.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- trích xuất
- Spanish
- extraer / extracto
- Chinese
- 提取
- Japanese
- 抽出する
- Korean
- 추출하다
Etymology
From Latin "extractus," the past participle of "extrahere," meaning "to draw out," built from "ex-" (out) + "trahere" (to pull). The word entered English in the 15th century through Old French.
Common phrases
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between 'extract' and 'remove'?
- 'Remove' is general — it just means to take something away. 'Extract' is more specific: it means to pull something out from inside something else, usually with effort or a process. For example, you remove a book from a shelf, but you extract a bullet from a wound.
- Can 'extract' be used as both a noun and a verb?
- Yes. As a verb (stress on second syllable: ex-TRACT), it means to take or pull out. As a noun (stress on first syllable: EX-tract), it means a passage from a text or a concentrated substance. This stress-shift pattern is common in English.
- Is 'extract' formal? Can I use it in IELTS writing?
- Yes, 'extract' is a formal, academic-register word and is very appropriate for IELTS writing and reading tasks. You will often see it in academic passages about science, medicine, or literary analysis.
- What is the difference between 'extract' and 'excerpt' as nouns?
- Both refer to a piece taken from a larger work, but 'excerpt' always comes from a written or recorded text. 'Extract' is broader — it can mean a passage from a text or a concentrated substance (like a plant extract).