abaction
abac·tion
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1 theft of livestock (n.) C2 Proficiency Archaic Formal Technical Lawthe act of stealing many farm animals at once and taking them away.
the forceful carrying away of property, specifically the large-scale theft of cattle or other livestock.
ExampleThe old laws included harsh punishments for the abaction of a neighbor's herd.
ExampleThe magistrate noted that the abaction of the entire herd constituted a capital offense under the statutes of the period.
UsageUsed as an uncountable noun in historical legal contexts.
Teacher's tipThis term is obsolete in modern general English; students will only encounter it in historical legal texts or specialized dictionaries.
From Latin abāctiō.