abduction

1. (anatomy) 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.Examples: "Abduction is performed by asking the patient to raise the arm at the side as high as they can with the examiner stabilizing the scapula by holding it down."countableuncountable

2. (logic) A syllogism or form of argument in which the major premise is evident, but the minor is only probable.Examples: "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."countableuncountable

3. (law) The wrongful, and usually forcible, carrying off of a human being.Examples: "the abduction of a child"Synonyms: appropriation, kidnapping, seizure, withdrawalcountableuncountable

4. (ufology) Alien abduction.Examples: "But fear of abduction never stopped a good ufologist."countableuncountable