abductor

¹ American  

[ab-duhk-ter] / æbˈdʌk tər /

noun

1. a person who abducts.

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abductor ² American  

[ab-duhk-ter] / æbˈdʌk tər /

noun

1. any muscle that abducts (opposed to adductor).

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abductor Scientific  

/ ăb-dŭk′tər /

1. A muscle that draws a limb or part of a limb away from the midline of the body.

2. Compare adductor

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Etymology

Origin of abductor¹

First recorded in 1840–50; abduct + -or ²

Origin of abductor²

From New Latin, dating back to 1605–15; see origin at abduce, -tor

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

abductor

To the nocturnal creatures of South Dakota’s prairie, Travis Livieri fancies himself an alien abductor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

The trouble with this was that the abductor muscles are the ones that open the trachea, allowing airflow to the lungs.

From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2026

The Guthrie family has publicly pleaded with the alleged abductor to return their mother, and has offered money as they seek proof of life and any information about her whereabouts.

From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2026

Rojas is injured, having aggravated a left abductor muscle injury trying to make the play in question and sat out Game 4.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2024

Pressure on other Structures.—The recurrent nerve may be pressed upon intermittently causing spasms and choking, or continuously causing abductor paralysis and hoarseness.

From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Alexander Miles

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