Word
abducent
Phoneticsab·du·cent
Definitions
01a muscle
n. a muscle that pulls a part of your body away from the middle line.
n. a muscle whose contraction pulls a limb or organ away from the median axis of the body.
“The surgeon examined the abducent muscle to see why the patient could not move their leg outward.”
“The primary function of an abducent is to facilitate lateral movement, contrasting with the adductor muscles that pull the limb back toward the torso.”
Technical
Usage
In modern clinical practice, 'abductor' is significantly more common than 'abducent' as a noun for muscles.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02a nerve
n. a nerve in the brain that controls the movement of the eye.
n. the sixth cranial nerve, which controls the lateral rectus muscle of the eye.
“Damage to the abducent can cause a person to have double vision.”
“The neurologist noted a palsy of the abducent, which prevented the patient from rotating the eye outward toward the temple.”
Technical
Usage
Often used as a shortened form of 'abducent nerve' or 'abducens nerve'.
Synonyms
03moving away
adj. describing a muscle or movement that goes away from the center of the body.
adj. pertaining to the action of drawing away from the median axis of the body.
“The doctor checked the abducent action of the patient's arm.”
“The abducent fibers are essential for the proper articulation of the shoulder joint during lateral lifting motions.”
Technical
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Latin abducō (“to lead away”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.