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seduce - 4 dictionary results

se⋅duce

  [si-doos, -dyoos]
Use seduce in a Sentence
–verb (used with object), -duced, -duc⋅ing.
1. to lead astray, as from duty, rectitude, or the like; corrupt.
2. to persuade or induce to have sexual intercourse.
3. to lead or draw away, as from principles, faith, or allegiance: He was seduced by the prospect of gain.
4. to win over; attract; entice: a supermarket seducing customers with special sales.
Origin:
1470–80; < L sēdūcere to lead aside, equiv. to sē- se- + dūcere to lead; r. earlier seduise < MF < L, as above

Related forms:
se⋅duc⋅er, noun
se⋅duc⋅i⋅ble, se⋅duce⋅a⋅ble, adjective
se⋅duc⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. beguile, inveigle, decoy, allure, lure, deceive. See tempt.

Antonyms:
1. repel.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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se·duce   (sĭ-dōōs', -dyōōs')   
tr.v.   se·duced, se·duc·ing, se·duc·es
  1. To lead away from duty, accepted principles, or proper conduct. See Synonyms at lure.
  2. To induce to engage in sex.
    1. To entice or beguile into a desired state or position.
    2. To win over; attract.

[Middle English seduisen, from Old French seduire, seduis-, alteration (influenced by Medieval Latin sēdūcere, to lead astray) of suduire, to seduce, from Latin subdūcere, to withdraw : sub-, sub- + dūcere, to lead; see deuk- in Indo-European roots.]
se·duce'a·ble, se·duc'i·ble adj., se·duc'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Seduce

Se*duce"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Seduced; p. pr. & vb. n. Seducing.] [L. seducere, seductum; pref. se- aside + ducere to lead. See Duke.]

1. To draw aside from the path of rectitude and duty in any manner; to entice to evil; to lead astray; to tempt and lead to iniquity; to corrupt.

For me, the gold of France did not seduce. --Shak.

2. Specifically, to induce to surrender chastity; to debauch by means of solicitation.

Syn: To allure; entice; tempt; attract; mislead; decoy; inveigle. See Allure.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : seduce
Spanish: seducir,
German: verführen,
Japanese: 誘惑する
More Translations »

seduce 
1526, "to persuade a vassal, etc., to desert his allegiance or service," from L. seducere "lead away, lead astray," from se- "aside, away" + ducere "to lead." Replaced M.E. seduisen (1477), from M.Fr. séduire "seduce," from O.Fr. suduire "to corrupt, seduce," from L. subducere "draw away, withdraw, remove," from sub- "from under, further" + ducere "to lead" (see duke). Sexual sense, now the prevailing one, is attested from 1560. Seductive is from 1771; seductress is from 1803.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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