duct [M17th] Duct comes from Latin ductus meaning both ‘leading’ and ‘aqueduct’ formed from ducere ‘to lead’. The verb has produced numerous words in English including abductor [E17th] one who leads away; conduct [ME] and its variant; conduit [ME] ‘lead with’; deduce [LME] draw a conclusion from something;educate [LME] ‘lead out’; induce [LME] ‘lead in’; introduce [LME] bring into (a group etc); produce [LME] ‘lead forward’; reduce [LME] ‘bring back’; seduce [LME] lead away (originally from duty, with the sexual sense developing in the M16th); subdue [LME] ‘draw from below’.