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DictionaryRoot: ducere
Latin

ducere

lead, guide, draw along

Forms

  • duc-
  • duct- — Latin stem of the form meaning ‘led.’

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *deuk-, ‘lead.’

Note

Physical leading became a model for guidance and for drawing a conclusion.

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noun

deduction

The removal of an amount from a total, or the amount removed.

A deduction for health insurance reduces each employee's take-home pay.

Etymology
deLatindown, away; removal
+ducLatinlead, guide, draw along
+tionLatinan action, process, or result

Latin de- and ducere express leading away. A deduction leads an amount away from the total, leaving a smaller remainder and also naming the amount removed.

More examples

  • This tax deduction lowers your taxable income.
  • Each incorrect answer results in a two-point deduction.
  • After all deductions, her weekly pay is $650.

Forms

deduction · deductions

deduct verb — To take an amount from a total.

Similar words

subtraction
Names the arithmetic operation rather than the amount removed.
reduction
Means any decrease, not necessarily an amount explicitly subtracted.