The process of removing or taking out something from a larger whole, often requiring effort or special methods.
From Latin 'extractus', past participle of 'extrahere' meaning 'to draw out', composed of 'ex-' (out) and 'trahere' (to draw). The English word emerged in the 15th century, initially used in medical contexts for removing substances from the body.
The word 'extracting' beautifully captures the essence of separation and purification across countless fields - from extracting gold from ore to extracting meaning from text. Interestingly, the root 'trahere' (to draw) also gives us 'tractor', 'attract', and 'contract', showing how the concept of pulling pervades our language.
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