abduct

verb

ab·duct | \ ab-ˈdəkt

, əb-; sense 2 also ˈab-ˌ\

abducted; abducting; abducts

Definition of abduct

1 : to seize and take away (a person) by force The girl was abducted by kidnappers.

2 : to draw or spread away (a part of the body, such as a limb or the fingers) from a position near or parallel to the median axis of the body or from the axis of a limb a muscle that abducts the arm

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Examples of abduct in a Sentence

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The story follows the adventures of Billy Pilgrim, an American soldier who survives the bombing of Dresden in 1945, only to be abducted by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore and exhibited in their zoo. — Amanda Foreman, WSJ, "Fantasies of Alien Life," 7 Mar. 2019 Statistically, a child is twice as likely to die of the flu than to be abducted by a stranger. — Kiley Bates-brennan, Good Housekeeping, "I Let My 5-Year-Old Play Unsupervised In A Public Park—And Watched His Confidence Grow," 30 Nov. 2017 In addition, families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean spies four decades ago had hoped that Mr. Moon would raise the issue in his meeting with Mr. Kim. — Jane Perlez, New York Times, "Korean Accord Draws Praise, and Caution, From North’s Neighbors," 28 Apr. 2018 MacGyver Mac, Jack and Riley (Lucas Till, George Eads, Tristin Mays) head to Chernobyl to rescue an informant abducted by an underworld kingpin who doesn't want the man talking to the CIA. — Ed Stockly, latimes.com, "Friday's TV highlights: 'Hawaii Five-0' on CBS," 9 Mar. 2018 Then there is the trauma suffered by those abducted. — Janine Di Giovanni, Newsweek, "In Syria, Reporters Are Targets for Kidnapping," 29 Apr. 2014 In 1906, a mob of white Chattanooga, Tennessee, residents abducted Ed Johnson, a young black man, from his jail cell. — Julissa Treviño, Smithsonian, "Public Sculpture in Tennessee Will Memorialize Lynching Victim," 18 Apr. 2018 Police were originally searching for 4-year-old Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj, who went missing in December; police suspect he was abducted by his father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj. — Jennie Neufeld, Vox, "Vox Sentences: 1,427 dead. Not 64.," 10 Aug. 2018 The plan called for militants to then try to abduct wounded sailors and keep them as bargaining chips for future prisoner swaps. — Josef Federman, BostonGlobe.com, "Rights group urges soldiers to refuse orders to fire on protesters at Israel-Gaza border," 5 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abduct.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

16 May 2019

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Time Traveler for abduct

The first known use of abduct was in 1765

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More Definitions for abduct

abduct

verb

ab·duct | \ ab-ˈdəkt

abducted; abducting

Kids Definition of abduct

: to take a person away by force : kidnap

abduct

transitive verb

ab·duct | \ ab-ˈdəkt, əb- also ˈab-ˌ\

Medical Definition of abduct

: to draw away (as a limb) from a position near or parallel to the median axis of the body the peroneus longus extends, abducts, and everts the foot— C. R. Bardeen also : to move (similar parts) apart abduct adjoining fingers

abduct

transitive verb

ab·duct | \ ab-ˈdəkt, əb-

Legal Definition of abduct

: to carry or lead (a person) away by threat or use of force or often by fraud also : to restrain or conceal (a person) for the purpose of preventing escape or rescue — see also kidnapping