v. Obs. [ad. L. subdūcĕre, f. sub- SUB- 25 + dūcĕre to lead, bring.]
1. trans. To take away, withdraw (lit. and fig.).
1626. Bp. Hall, Contempl., O. T., XX. iv. Else, had the chyld beene secretly subduced, and missed by his bloodie grandmother. Ibid. (1632), Hard Texts, Matt. xxviii. 20. Howsoever my bodily presence shall be subduced from you.
1664. Owen, Vind. Animadv., xvi. 422. No small part of the Territories of many Princes is subduced from under their power.
a. 1761. Law, Comf. Weary Pilgrim (1809), 55. They wanted not to have … their covetousness and sensuality to be subduced by a new nature from heaven derived into them.
b. To withdraw from allegiance; = SEDUCE v. 1.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), II. 297. [He] had subducit with his gould the men of weir that keipit the castell.
c. refl. (occas. intr.) To withdraw oneself or itself from a place or society, from allegiance, etc.; to escape from; to secede.
1542. Becon, Pathw. Prayer, ii. B vj b. It shalbe expedient for such as intende to exercyse prayer … to subduce & conuaye them selues from the company of the worldely people into some secrete … place.
1610. Bp. Hall, Apol. Brownists, § 7. You have separated from this Church…: If Christ haue taken away his word and Spirit [from it], you have justly subduced.
1636. T. Goodwin, Child of Light (1643), 112. A man can no way avoid his suggestions, nor subduce himself from them.
a. 1656. Bp. Hall, Specialities Life, Rem. Wks. (1660), 21. I subduced myself speedily from their presence.
a. 1660. Hammond, 19 Serm., xiv. Wks. 1684, IV. 658. For never was the earth so peevish, as to … subduce it self from its [sc. the sun’s] rayes.
2. To subtract, as a mathematical operation.
1571. Digges, Pantom., I. xviii. F b. Subduce the first distance from the third.
1588. A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., b vij. Thane subduce ye haill frome ye nombre of ye dayes of yat moneth.
a. 1676. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., 106. If out of that supposed infinite multitude of antecedent Generation, we should by the Operation of the Understanding subduce Ten.
3. To bring, lead into. rare.
1609. Tourneur, Funeral Poem Sir F. Vere, 278. Offences done against his owne estate … have oftentimes Subduc’d the malefactors for those crimes Into the hands of justice.
Hence † Subducing vbl. sb., withdrawal.
1633. Bp. Hall, Hard Texts, Neh. vi. 11. By weake subducing of my selfe, and hiding my head in the Temple.
a. 1660. Hammond, 19 Serm., xi. Wks. 1684, IV. 636. A cowardly, pusillanimous subducing of ones self.
