verb
abduct
ab-DUHKT
verb
1
To take a person away by force, usually secretly and against their will; to kidnap.
"Police believe the child was abducted on his way home from school."
2
In anatomy, to move a limb or body part away from the midline of the body.
"The muscle helps abduct the arm away from the torso."
How to Use Abduct
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo forcibly take someone away, or, in medical language, to move a body part outward from the center of the body.
Common pairings
abduct a child
abduct the arm
Word Forms
abducted past tense, abducts singular
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Etymology
From Latin abductus, past participle of abdūcō, "to lead away", from ab- ("away") and dūcō ("to lead").