subduces

Subduces is the third-person singular present tense of the verb subduce. Subduce means to draw under or beneath, to lead under, or to subduct. It derives from the Latin subducere, with sub- meaning under and ducere meaning to lead. In English, subduce is uncommon today and appears mainly in historical, scholarly, or legal texts. In modern usage, the more common form is subduct; therefore the standard present tense is subducts, and subduces is rarely encountered outside older writing.

The term may occur in discussions of mechanical or physical processes where something is drawn under another surface, but in contemporary usage it is largely superseded by subduct (and its forms). In geology, the standard term for the tectonic process is subduction, not subduction as a verb, and the usual verb form is subduct with the third-person singular subducts. The sentence “the plate subducts beneath the mantle at the trench” reflects current practice, whereas subduces would be atypical in this field.

Etymology and usage notes: subduce comes from Latin subducere. As an English verb, it remains largely archaic or technical, with most modern writers preferring subduct for active sense and subduction as the noun describing the process. See also subduce (verb), subduction, and subduction zone for related terms.