extortion
/ekˈstɔːʃən/ek-STAWR-shuhn
UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked/ɛkˈstɔɹʃən/ek-STAWR-shuhn
Meaningthe act of extorting
Common meaning: getting money by threats
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- exout
- tortto twist, wringLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1879 · scan
- ionnoun ending: act or result
‘out’ + ‘to twist, wring’ → extortion
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Formed in English from extort + -ion.
Dictionary: Skeat (1898), EXTORT, p.201 · scan
Roots
- torqueō, torsī, tortum Latin “to twist, wring”
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