Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Abduction
Ab-duc′tion
,Noun.
[L.
abductio
: cf. F. abduction
.] 1.
The act of abducing or abducting; a drawing apart; a carrying away.
Roget.
2.
(Physiol.)
The movement which separates a limb or other part from the axis, or middle line, of the body.
3.
(Law)
The wrongful, and usually the forcible, carrying off of a human being;
as, the
. abduction
of a child, the abduction
of an heiress4.
(Logic)
A syllogism or form of argument in which the major is evident, but the minor is only probable.
Webster 1828 Edition
Abduction
ABDUC'TION
,Noun.
1.
In a general sense, the act of drawing apart, or carrying away.2.
In surgery, a species of fracture, in which the broken parts recede from each other.3.
In logic, a kind of argumentation, called by the Greeks apagoge, in which the major is evident, but the minor is not so clear, as not to require farther proof. As in this syllogism, 'all whom God absolves are free from sin; God absolves all who are in Christ; therefore all who are in Christ are free from sin.'4.
In law, the taking and carrying away of a child, a ward, a wife, &c. either by fraud, persuasion, or open violence.Definition 2024
abduction
abduction
English
Noun
abduction (plural abductions)
- Leading away; a carrying away. [Early 17th century.][2]
- (physiology) 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. [Mid 17th century.][2](Can we add an example for this sense?)
- (logic) A syllogism or form of argument in which the major premise is evident, but the minor is only probable. [Late 17th century.][2]
- 2005, Ronnie Cann, Ruth Kempson, Lutz Marten, The Dynamics of Language, an Introduction, page 256:
- 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.
-
- The wrongful, and usually forcible, carrying off of a human being. [Mid 18th century.][2]
- the abduction of a child
Usage notes
- In Gregg shorthand (version: Centennial, Series 90, DJS, Simplified, Anniversary, Pre-Anniversary) the word is represented: a - b - d - u - k - sh
Synonyms
- (legal, carrying off of human being): kidnapping
- (logic): retroduction
- (determining most plausible explanation): retroduction
Antonyms
- (physiology): adduction
Derived terms
Derived terms
Related terms
Related terms
Translations
leading away, carrying away
|
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physiology: movement separating limb from axis
logic: type of syllogism
law: wrongful carrying off of a human being
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References
- ↑ Elliott K. Dobbie, C. William Dunmore, Robert K. Barnhart, et al. (editors), Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2004 [1998], ISBN 0550142304), page 2
- 1 2 3 4 Lesley Brown (editor), The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition (Oxford University Press, 2003 [1933], ISBN 978-0-19-860575-7), page 3
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /abdyksjɔ̃/
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin abductiō (“robbing; abduction”), from abdūcō (“take or lead away”).
Noun
abduction f (plural abductions)
- (physiology) Abductive movement; abduction.
- (logic, computing) Abductive reasoning; abduction.
Interlingua
Etymology
From Latin abductiō (“robbing; abduction”), from abdūcō (“take or lead away”).
Noun
abduction (plural abductiones)