ABDUCTOR

A muscle that draws a part away (abducts) from the body or an extremity. An abductor muscle may be tiny ( as in the fingers and toes ) or large and powerful ( as the thighs ).

The principal abducor muscles include the abductor digiti minimi (which abducts the little finger in the hand and the little toe in the foot); the abductor hallucis (which abducts and extends the thumb); the deltoideus (which abducts, flexes, and extends the arm); the gluteus maximus or buttock (which extends, abducts, and rotates the thigh outward); the extensor carpiradialis longus (which extend and abduct the wrist joint); and the interossei dorsales (which abduct and flex the toes).

An adductor muscle is one that draws a part toward the body.