abductor

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a person who unlawfully carries someone away and holds them captive

   Investigators traced the ransom call to the child's abductor.

2. 2
   noun

   a muscle that moves a body part away from the body's midline or another reference axis

   The physiotherapist prescribed exercises to strengthen the hip abductor.

Common collocations

• abductor muscle Noun + noun

From Medieval Latin abductor, one who leads away, from Latin abducere, to lead away, plus the agent suffix -tor. Anatomy adopted the term for a muscle that draws a limb or other part away from the body's midline; adductor names the opposing action.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images