abduction

noun | \ ab-ˈdək-shən, əb- \ | ab·duc·tion

1. a : the action of abducting abduction of a robbery victim

   b : the tort or felony of abducting a person

2. : the unlawful carrying away of a wife or female child or ward for the purpose of marriage or sexual intercourse

   Note: Sense 2 has its roots in common law. As statutorily defined, mainly in the nineteenth century, abduction was generally stated to include taking away or detention of a woman under a certain age, usually 16 or 18, with or without her consent or knowledge of her age.