extraction
n.-
1 removal of a substance (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Sciencethe process of taking something out of a surface or a substance, like oil from the ground.
the act of removing or obtaining something from a source by force, suction, or chemical process.
ExampleThe extraction of oil from the deep ocean floor is a difficult and expensive task.
ExampleThe mining company faced significant environmental regulations regarding the extraction of rare earth minerals from the protected valley.
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2 ancestry (n.) C1 Advanced Formala person's family background or where their ancestors came from.
the ethnic or national origin of a person; lineage or ancestry.
ExampleShe is of Italian extraction, though she has lived in London her whole life.
ExampleThe historian noted that many families of French extraction settled in this region during the eighteenth century.
UsageUsually follows the preposition 'of'.
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3 military rescue (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Sportthe act of moving someone from a dangerous or enemy area to a safe place.
the tactical removal of personnel from a hostile or hazardous environment to a secure location.
ExampleThe helicopter arrived just in time for the extraction of the trapped soldiers.
ExampleThe special forces team coordinated a night-time extraction to retrieve the diplomats before the border was closed.
Teacher's tipIn a military context, this is the opposite of 'insertion'.
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4 dentistry (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Medicinethe act of a dentist pulling a tooth out of your mouth.
the surgical removal of a tooth from its socket in the jawbone.
ExampleThe dentist said that an extraction was necessary because the tooth was too damaged to fix.
ExampleFollowing the extraction of his wisdom teeth, the patient was advised to avoid solid foods for several days.
From Old French estraction, from Medieval Latin extractio.