Extort
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -É”Ë(r)t
Origin
From Latin extortus, past participle of extorquere ("to twist or wrench out, to extort"); from ex ("out") + -tort, from torqueÅ ("twist, turn").
Full definition of extort
Verb
- (transitive) To wrest from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity; to wrench away (from); to tear away; to wring (from); to exact; as, to extort contributions from the vanquished; to extort confessions of guilt; to extort a promise; to extort payment of a debt.
- (transitive, legal) To obtain by means of the offense of extortion.
- (transitive and intransitive, medicine, ophthalmology) To twist outwards.