EXTINCT Definition & Meaning

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extinct

[ ik-stingkt ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

no longer in existence; having ended or died out:
extinct pre-Colombian societies.
Biology, Ecology. (of a plant or animal species) having no living member remaining anywhere, not in the wild, in a naturalized population, nor in captivity, as categorized by the IUCN Red List: : EX
a list of extinct animals that once inhabited the Isle of Man.
Synonyms: ,
no longer in use; obsolete:
an extinct custom.
Synonyms:
extinguished; quenched; not burning:
evidence of a half dozen extinct campfires.
Synonyms:
Geology. (of a volcano) not having erupted for at least 10,000 years and not expected to erupt again. Compare active ( def 10 ), dormant ( def 6 ).

extinct

/ ɪ��ˈ��ɪŋ�� /

adjective

(of an animal or plant species) having no living representative; having died out
quenched or extinguished
(of a volcano) no longer liable to erupt; inactive
void or obsolete
an extinct political office

extinct

/ ĭ��-��ĭ�Բ��′ /

Having no living members. Species become extinct for many reasons, including climate change, disease, destruction of habitat, local or worldwide natural disasters, and development into new species (speciation). The great majority of species that have ever lived—probably more than 99 percent—are now extinct.
No longer active or burning, as an extinct volcano.

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Other �y��vlog Forms

�Դǲ�·��·�پ��Գ�� adjective
�ܲ�·��·�پ��Գ�� adjective

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of extinct¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin ex(s)tinctus, past participle of ex(s)tinguere; extinguish ( def )

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of extinct¹

C15: from Latin exstinctus quenched, from exstinguere to extinguish

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Synonym Study

See dead.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Some ancestral varieties of Mexican corn have already gone extinct, he said, “the product of illegal plantings and uncontrolled and undetected cross-pollination.”

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"A lot of the times I am writing in the book about a version of myself that is now extinct," he said.

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But the true size and shape of this extinct giant probably doesn't resemble the star of "Jaws."

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Evangelista said it's hard to prove that something has gone extinct if you didn't know it existed to begin with.

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"That's reached such a point where pure Scottish wildcats were virtually extinct and there's really been action to bring those animals back. These are one of our mega charismatic animals," she added.

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