extremity
Part of speech: noun
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: 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)).
Inflected forms:
form: extremities
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: extremitys
pos: noun
tags: obsolete
plural
Senses:
gloss: The most extreme or furthest point of something.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: [B]eſtowe your love on him, who, were it not to do you ſervice, would through the extremitie of love rather wiſh to die then live.
Any ſphere revolving as on an axis, muſt have two points on its ſurface at the extremities of its axis, that do not revolve at all; theſe points, with reſpect to the Earth, are called its poles.
Scrooge said that he would see him—yes, indeed he did. He went the whole length of the expression, and said that he would see him in that extremity [i.e., hell] first.
Reference was made in the January-February issue to some of the optimistic railway titles of the past, such as the Manchester & Milford, and the Lancashire, Derbyshire & East Coast, neither of which got anywhere near the extremities indicated in their titles during their independent existence.
Sitting on the dockside at Oban, watching the to-ing and fro-ing in the harbour on a perfect summer's eve, I reflect on a trip which has taken me through our busiest cities to traverse the country's main lines, as well as explore some of the furthest extremities that were literally out on a limb.
gloss: An extreme measure.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: The Fort on the Mount St. Catherine after a Month's Siege was reduc'd to ſuch Extremitys, that they who defended it were forc'd to treat about a Surrender: and Aug. 29. 'twas agreed between the Engliſh Commiſſioners, Edward Earl of Mortaigne, Thomas Earl of Salisbury, and Fitz-Hugh, and the French Commiſſioners, the Sieur Nobles Lieutenant of Guy de Bouteil, which the Sieurs De Buſſon and de Graville, in the Name of the Gariſon, that they would deliver up the Abby and Fortreſs of St. Catherine on the Thurſday following, on condition of having only their Lives ſpar'd.
But if they ſtill continue obſtinate, or offer to raiſe Inſurrections, he proceeds to the laſt Remedy, by letting the Iſland drop directly upon their Heads, which makes a universal Deſtruction both of Houſes and Men. However, this is an Extremity to which the Prince is ſeldom driven, neither indeed is he willing to put it in execution, nor dare his Miniſters adviſe him to an Action, which, as it would render them odious to the People, ſo it would be a great damage to their own Eſtates, which lie all below, for the Iſland is the King's Demeſn.
gloss: A hand or foot.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: Guillain–Barré syndrome causes one to not be able to move one’s extremities.
Resection is preferable to amputation in the greater number of lesions of the upper extremities, as the principal function is that of mobility.—Sedillot. […] Resection of the phalanges, in whole or part, is occasionally required as the result of deep-seated inflammation.
gloss: A limb (“major appendage of a human or animal such as an arm, leg, or wing”).
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: The danger of wounds of the extremities consists in the injury done to the blood-vessels, nerves, articulations, and bones.
Congestive Chills.—Give from ten to fifteen drops of spirits of turpentine in a wineglass of toddy. Make a liniment of equal parts of turpentine and camphor. With this rub the spine, chest and extremities well; but not enough to blister. Rub the extremities until reaction takes place. A cloth saturated with the mixture should be applied to the chest.
On motor examination, she had normal bulk and tone throughout the upper and lower extremities. Her upper extremity strength appeared symmetric bilaterally and no drift in the left upper extremity was found. In the lower extremities, she had full strength in the right leg. In the left leg, there was some subtle weakness of left hip flexion, with 5/5 strength distally.
Related words: extreme
extremely
extremeness
extremism
extremist
Derived words: extremital
Translations: