Moving a limb or any other part away from the midline of the body Abduction is the opposite of adduction (e g the "up" phase of a jumping jack involves the abduction of the legs and the arms, or spreading of the fingers and toes)
Development of a hypothesis to explain observations; frequently used in diagnostic expert systems; can lead to false conclusions For example, a particular instance of wind destruction by a microburst might be initially ascribed to a tornado Compare deduction, induction
the criminal act of capturing and carrying away by force a family member; if a man's wife is abducted it is a crime against the family relationship and against the wife
in conditional reasoning, the generation of an explanation for an event, taken from a theory of how the world works, the plausibility of which depends in large part on the number and the likelihood of the alternative explanations
(physiology) moving of a body part away from the central axis of the body the criminal act of capturing and carrying away by force a family member; if a man's wife is abducted it is a crime against the family relationship and against the wife
{i} kidnapping, seizure, carrying off by force; action of separating a limb or other part from the midline of the body (Medicine); abducing, drawing apart