abduct

Abduct is a verb with two principal meanings. In everyday language, to abduct means to seize and carry away a person by force or through deception, i.e., to kidnap. In medical and anatomical contexts, to abduct means to move a body part away from the midline of the body. The noun forms are abduction (the act) and abductor (the agent or muscle). The word comes from Latin abducere, meaning “to lead away.”

In law, abduction refers to the unlawful taking and detention of a person, often with intent to threaten, coerce, or force a ransom. The term sometimes overlaps with kidnapping; different legal systems distinguish offense definitions, ages (e.g., child abduction), and cross-border cases. Prosecution generally requires evidence of removal, lack of consent, and intent to confine or control.

In anatomy, abduction is a directional term describing movement away from the body's midline. For example, raising the arms laterally or moving the leg outward at the hip constitutes abduction. Muscles that perform abduction include the shoulder’s deltoid (middle fibers) and supraspinatus, and the hip’s gluteus medius and minimus; opposing movement is adduction.

Other uses: Abduct can appear in science fiction and journalism to describe taking someone away; the related noun abduction and the adjective abducted are common in both legal and popular discourse.

See also: adduction, abductor, abduction.