To extort or wring away by force; to obtain something through coercion or unlawful means (archaic term).
From Latin 'abstorquere' (to twist away), combining 'ab-' (away) and 'torquere' (to twist or turn). This obscure legal term appears in medieval English texts but has been almost completely replaced by 'extort.'
Medieval legal documents use 'abstort' when describing theft or forced taking of goods, but 'extort' eventually won out because it was clearer and became the standard term—this shows how English sometimes simplifies by replacing multiple similar words with one standard version.
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