extremity

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)The most extreme or furthest point of something.

   “[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.”

2. (countable, uncountable)An extreme measure.
3. (countable, uncountable)A hand or foot.

   “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.”

4. (countable, uncountable)A limb (“major appendage of a human or animal such as an arm, leg, or wing”).

   “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.”