abduction en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /əbˈdʌk.ʃn̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /æbˈdək.ʃn̩/ (US)
- /əbˈdək.ʃn̩/ (US)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /æbˈdʌk.ʃn̩/ (US)
- /ˈeɪˈbiː.dʌk.ʃn̩/ anatomy sense
Etymology
From Latin abductiō(n) (“a robbing; an abduction”), from abdūcō (“to take or lead away”), from ab (“away”) + dūcō (“to lead”). By surface analysis, abduct + -ion or abduce + -tion. * (physiology): From French, from Latin abductus. * Compare French abduction.
Meanings
- (countable, uncountable) A leading away; a carrying away.
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(countable, uncountable) The act of abducing or abducting; a drawing apart; the movement which separates a limb or other part from the axis, or middle line, of the body.
Abduction is performed by asking the patient to raise the arm at the side as high as they can with the examiner stabilizing the scapula by holding it down.
2013, Jain MD, MSPH with Wilcox, PT, Katz, MD, MS, and Higgins, MD, “Clinical Examination of the Rotator Cuff”, in PM&R Journal:
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(countable, uncountable) A syllogism or form of argument in which the major premise is evident, but the minor is only probable.
The significance of such a step is that it is not morphologically triggered: it is a step of abduction, and what is required here is a meta-level process of reasoning.
2005, Ronnie Cann, Ruth Kempson, Lutz Marten, The Dynamics of Language, an Introduction, page 256:
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(countable, uncountable) The wrongful, and usually forcible, carrying off of a human being.
Saturday’s actions – the abduction of [Venezuelan] President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas to face federal drug-trafficking charges in the U.S., and the deadly bombings of military installations and some civilian buildings across the country – had “Trump Corollary” written all over them.
2026 January 4, Howard LaFranchi, “Seizing Venezuela’s Maduro, Trump implements his corollary to Monroe Doctrine”, in The Christian Science Monitor, archived from the original on 07 Jan 2026:the abduction of a child
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(countable, uncountable) An alien abduction.
But fear of abduction never stopped a good ufologist.
2010, Monte Dwyer, Red in the Centre: Through a Crooked Lens, Monyer Pty Ltd, page 122:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| abductions | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
reinstatement (antonym(s) of “physiology”) · restitution (antonym(s) of “physiology”) · surrender (antonym(s) of “physiology”) · restoration (antonym(s) of “physiology”) · replacement (antonym(s) of “physiology”) · adduction (antonym(s) of “physiology”)
Coordinates
Deriveds
hyperabduction · abductional · military abduction · alien abduction · milab
Relateds
Synonyms
abstraction · seizure (carrying off of human being) · withdrawal (carrying off of human being) · retroduction · appropriation (carrying off of human being) · kidnapping (carrying off of human being)
Translations (119)
nl ontvoering (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · nb bortførsel (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · ja 誘拐 (leading away, carrying away) · ca segrest (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · ko 랍치 (leading away, carrying away) · da bortføring (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · nl kidnapping (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · nl schaking (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · mk киднапи́рање (leading away, carrying away) · da abduktion (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · eo abdukcio (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · ta கடத்தல் (leading away, carrying away) · de Abduktion (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · nl afvoering (leading away, carrying away) · fi kidnappaus (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · ro răpire (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · it abduzione (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · fi abduktio (logic: type of syllogism) · la abductiō (leading away, carrying away) · nb bortførsel (leading away, carrying away) · nb kidnapping (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · bg отвли́чане (leading away, carrying away) · es abducción (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · it abduzione (logic: type of syllogism) · ko 납치 (leading away, carrying away) · nb bortføring (leading away, carrying away) · fi poisvienti (leading away, carrying away) · de Abduktion (logic: type of syllogism) · el απαγωγή (logic: type of syllogism) · ko 유괴 (leading away, carrying away) · sl ugrabitev (leading away, carrying away) · pt sequestro (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · ga fuadach (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · ta கடத்தல் (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · it sequestro (leading away, carrying away) · id abduksi (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · pt abdução (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · fi sieppaus (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · nb abduksjon (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · ru похище́ние (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · el απαγωγή (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · de Entführung (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · ta கடத்து (leading away, carrying away) · da kidnappning (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · hi अपवर्तन (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · vi sự bắt cóc (leading away, carrying away) · da abduktion (logic: type of syllogism) · uk викрада́ння (leading away, carrying away) · eo kidnapo (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · fi abduktio (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · nb bortførelse (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · es secuestro (leading away, carrying away) · pl abdukcja (logic: type of syllogism) · ms penculikan (leading away, carrying away) · ka აბდუქცია (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · fr abduction (logic: type of syllogism) · it rapimento (leading away, carrying away) · nb bortføring (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · pl uprowadzenie (leading away, carrying away) · be выкрада́нне (leading away, carrying away) · sl ugrabitev (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · eo forkapto (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · lv nolaupīšana (leading away, carrying away) · ja 誘拐 (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · hy հափշտակում (leading away, carrying away) · es rapto (leading away, carrying away) · is fráleiðsla (logic: type of syllogism) · sh òtmica (leading away, carrying away) · cs únos (leading away, carrying away) · fr enlèvement (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · da bortføring (leading away, carrying away) · sk únos (leading away, carrying away) · nb abduksjon (logic: type of syllogism) · fi loitonnus (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · id abduksi (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · bg абду́кция (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · sh о̀тмица (leading away, carrying away) · nl abductie (logic: type of syllogism) · hu emberrablás (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · pt abdução (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · nl abductie (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · ru похище́ние (leading away, carrying away) · cmn 綁架 /绑架 (leading away, carrying away) · ca abducció (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · nb bortførelse (leading away, carrying away) · ja 拉致 (leading away, carrying away) · el απαγωγή (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · cs únos (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · pl porwanie (leading away, carrying away) · ru абду́кция (logic: type of syllogism) · fr abduction (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · ro abducție (logic: type of syllogism) · hu eltérítés (leading away, carrying away) · bg отвличане (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · fr rapt (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · ro răpire (leading away, carrying away) · bg похище́ние (leading away, carrying away) · ru абду́кция (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · fi abduktiivinen päättely (logic: type of syllogism) · de Entführung (leading away, carrying away) · eo forrabo (leading away, carrying away) · fi poistaminen (leading away, carrying away) · uk ви́крадення (leading away, carrying away) · es abducción (logic: type of syllogism) · cs abdukce (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · hi अपहरण (leading away, carrying away) · fr enlèvement (leading away, carrying away) · ro abducție (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · es rapto (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · la raptiō (leading away, carrying away) · pl abdukcja (physiology: movement separating limb from axis) · fi ihmisryöstö (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · ka მოტაცება (leading away, carrying away) · el απαγωγή (leading away, carrying away) · tr adam kaçırma (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · it rapimento (law: wrongful carrying off of a human being) · lt pagrobimas (leading away, carrying away) · lt grobimas (leading away, carrying away) · ar اِخْتِطَاف (leading away, carrying away)