ENGLISH
REFERENCE

extremity

n.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ɛkˈstɹɛməti// UK //ɛkstɹˈɛmɪti// ex·trem·i·ty

n. a part of the body that is far from the center, like your hands or feet. It can also mean a very extreme or severe situation.

n. a limb or part of the body situated at a distance from the center of the body; also used to describe a state of extreme severity or intensity.


SIMPLE

He suffered a serious injury to the extremity of his leg.

CONTEXTUAL

The doctor checked the patient's extremities to see if they were still warm and responsive.

COMPLEX

The situation reached a point of such extremity that the committee felt it was necessary to intervene before any permanent damage was done to the project.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English extremite, from Old French extremité, from Latin extrēmitātem (“extremity; border, perimeter; ending”), from extrēmīs (“furthest, extreme”) + -itās (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -teh₂ts (suffix forming nouns indicating a state of being); see extreme. Extrēmīs is derived from exter (“external, outward”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₁eǵʰs (“out”)) + -issimus (superlative suffix) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -is- (comparative suffix) + -(t)m̥mo- (absolutive case suffix)).

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