extremity
Other forms: extremities
An extremity is a limb or appendage of the body, particularly the hands and feet. If the weather is cold, you have to be sure to protect your extremities from frostbite by wearing gloves, warm socks, and boots.
The noun extremity also means the outermost point or part — the one that's farthest away. Nauset Light Beach on Cape Cod, for example, is the easternmost extremity in the state of Massachusetts. Extremity can also refer to the greatest degree, especially of an emotion or physical feeling. The extremity of the pain in your ankle might make you realize you should go to the emergency room for x-rays.
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the outermost or farthest region or pointtypes:limitas far as something can gobitter end(nautical) the inboard end of a line or cable especially the end that is wound around a bittbittheadthe upper end of a bittheelthe lower end of a ship's mastpointsharp endrailheadthe end of the completed track on an unfinished railwayterminuseither end of a railroad or bus routeyardarmeither end of the yard of a square-rigged shiphairlinethe natural margin formed by hair on the headtelomereeither (free) end of a eukaryotic chromosomeheelone of the crusty ends of a loaf of breadfrontieran international boundary or the area (often fortified) immediately inside the boundaryheliopausethe boundary marking the edge of the sun's influence; the boundary (roughly 100 AU from the sun) between the interplanetary medium and the interstellar medium; where the solar wind from the sun and the radiation from other stars meetdistrict linethe boundary between two districtscounty linethe boundary between two countiescity linethe boundary of a cityenda boundary marking the extremities of somethingmaximumthe point on a curve where the tangent changes from positive on the left to negative on the rightminimumthe point on a curve where the tangent changes from negative on the left to positive on the rightsurfacethe extended two-dimensional outer boundary of a three-dimensional objecttipthe extreme end of something, especially something pointedshorelinea boundary line between land and water
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the greatest or utmost degree“the extremity of despair”type of:ultimacy, ultimatenessthe state or degree of being ultimate; the final or most extreme in degree or size or time or distance, "the ultimacy of these social values"
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an external body part that projects from the body“it is important to keep the extremities warm”types:cheliceraeither of the first pair of fang-like appendages near the mouth of an arachnid; often modified for grasping and piercingmouthpartany part of the mouth of an insect or other arthropod especially one adapted to a specific way of feedingfangan appendage of insects that is capable of injecting venom; usually evolved from the legsparapodiumone of a pair of fleshy appendages of a polychete annelid that functions in locomotion and breathingfinorgan of locomotion and balance in fishes and some other aquatic animalspleopod, swimmeretone of the paired abdominal appendages of certain aquatic crustaceans that function primarily for carrying the eggs in females and are usually adapted for swimminglimbone of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flippertoxicognatheither of a pair of poison fangs in the modified front pair of legs of the centipedehind limb, hindlimba posterior appendage such as a leg or the homologous structure in other animalsforelimbthe front limb (or the homologous structure in other animals, such as a flipper or wing)flipperthe flat broad limb of aquatic animals specialized for swimmingdorsal finunpaired median fin on the backs of fishes and some other aquatic vertebrates that help to maintain balancepectoral fineither of a pair of fins situated just behind the head in fishes that help control the direction of movementpelvic fin, ventral fineither of a pair of fins attached to the pelvic girdle in fishes that help control the direction of movement; correspond to hind limbs of a land vertebratelega human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and anklecrusthe leg from the knee to footlega structure in animals that is similar to a human leg and used for locomotionthighthe part of the leg between the hip and the kneearma human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limbcubitusthe arm from the elbow to the fingertipsforearmthe part of the superior limb between the elbow and the wristminimusthe fifth digit; the little finger or little toefingerany of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)toeone of the digits of the footmandibleeither of the two mouthparts used by arthropods to hold and bite foodtype of:external body partany body part visible externally
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that part of a limb that is farthest from the torsotypes:fingerany of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)toeone of the digits of the footmiddle fingerthe second finger; between the index finger and the ring fingerhammertoea deformed toe which is bent in a clawlike archlittle toethe fifth smallest outermost toetype of:external body partany body part visible externally
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an extreme condition or state (especially of adversity or disease)types:bitter endthe final extremity (however unpleasant it may be)type of:
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Vocabulary lists containing extremity
After a shipwreck, Rainsford thinks he's safe when he washes ashore a mysterious island — but once he meets the eccentric General Zaroff, he realizes his problems have just begun. Read the full text here.
The narrator of this twisted tale embarks on a grisly quest for revenge. Read the full text here. Click here to explore other works by Edgar Allan Poe.
As you read Jack London's "To Build a Fire," learn this word list. Here are links to lists for texts in Grade 11's Collection 5: To Build a Fire, The Jungle, Food Product Design, The Lowest Animal, Genesis of the Tenement, The Story of an Hour, The Fish