subduction
Americannoun
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an act or instance of subducting; subtraction or withdrawal.
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Geology. the process by which collision of the earth's crustal plates results in one plate's being drawn down or overridden by another, localized along the juncture subduction zone of two plates.
noun
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the act of subducting, esp of turning the eye downwards
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geology the process of one tectonic plate sliding under another, resulting in tensions and faulting in the earth's crust, with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
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A geologic process in which one edge of one lithospheric plate is forced below the edge of another. The denser of the two plates sinks beneath the other. As it descends, the plate often generates seismic and volcanic activity (from melting and upward migration of magma) in the overriding plate.
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Compare obduction
Etymology
Origin of subduction
1570–80; < Latin subductiōn-, stem of subductiō pulling up, computation; see subduct, -ion
Explanation
In geology, subduction is what happens when one tectonic plate moves underneath another. Most strong earthquakes are caused by subduction. Subduction causes the most powerful earthquakes, and over time it's also what creates volcanoes and mountains. When you study geology or earth science, you'll learn about areas of the earth called "subduction zones," regions where subduction is occurring and earthquakes are relatively common. Before 1970, the word was used to mean "removal of noxious substances from the body."
Vocabulary lists containing subduction
This Week In Words: January 4–10, 2020
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Plate Tectonics - Middle School
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Plate Tectonics - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Subduction zones are some of the most powerful and dynamic features on Earth.
From Science Daily • Oct. 25, 2025
The most recent magnitude 9 rip of the offshore Cascadia Subduction Zone happened over three centuries ago, in 1700.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 7, 2024
“We kind of know what might happen during a Cascadia Subduction Zone event,” Sherrod says.
From Science Magazine • Sep. 26, 2023
Subduction zones, like those that exist around the rim of the Pacific Ocean, are usually offshore and tremors occur at greater depth.
From New York Times • Feb. 6, 2023
Subduction zones are assumed to form where accumulation of sediment at a passive margin leads to separation of oceanic and continental lithosphere.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
