An abductor is a muscle which, when contracted, causes the limb to abduct.
Function of the hip abductors
The abductor muscles of the hip keep the pelvis steady when a person puts their weight on one leg.
Isometric strength of the hip abductors and external rotators in athletes with and without patellar tendinopathy. Zhang ZJ, Lee WC, Ng GYF and Fu SN. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2018 Aug;118(8):1635-1640. doi: 10.1007/s00421-018-3896-x. Epub 2018 May 26.