Extrahere

Extrahere is a Latin verb meaning to draw out, pull forth, or extract. It is formed from ex- “out” and trahere “to pull,” and it belongs to the third conjugation. The principal parts are extraho, extrahere, extraxi, extractum, which supply the standard stems for most tenses and voices (present active, perfect, and the supine form used to form perfect passive participles).

In classical Latin, extrahere is used both literally and figuratively. Literally, it describes pulling something from a container or from the ground, as in extraho aquam e puteo “I draw water from the well.” Figuratively, it can mean to draw out or derive something from information or argument, such as drawing a conclusion or extracting data from a source. The verb can also appear in various compounds and with different objects, depending on context.

English derivatives trace back to this verb and its related participles. The primary descendants are extract (as a verb and noun) and extraction (the act or process of pulling out or deriving). These terms reflect the core sense of pulling something out from a source—whether material, informational, or conceptual—and originate in the supine form extractum or the perfect participle extractus in Latin.

Usage notes: Extrahere is a standard example of a third-conjugation verb ending in -ere with a stem change from -ah- in the present tense. It appears commonly in Latin prose and is encountered in Latin dictionaries and grammars as a typical verb for illustrating literal and figurative pulling or drawing. Related verbs include trahere (to drag) and other compounds built on ex- plus trahere.