extractor
/ɪkˈstɹæktə/ · ex·trac·tor
noun
- Any of various mechanical devices that extract a component from others. The oil extractor separates crude oil from water in the refinery.
- An apparatus that uses a solvent to remove soluble substances from a mixture. In the lab, the chemist used a Soxhlet extractor to isolate caffeine from tea leaves.
- A centrifugal drying machine. The textile factory installed an extractor to spin‑dry the fabric after washing.
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Did you know? The term ‘extractor’ was popularized in the early 20th century by coffee makers that used a pressurized water‑jet to pull flavor from ground beans, a process still called ‘extraction’ today.