White deduced, or assumed, that the colonists had moved to Croatoan Island because of the carving left behind. The word CRO had also been carved into a tree. White attempted to search for the colonists, but was unable to because of the weather. Shortly after, White was forced to return to England with the ship. John White was never able to return to search for the colonists, which included his daughter and granddaughter. He passed away without ever knowing the fate of the colony that he helped establish, not destroy. Which type of context clue is used to help determine the meaning of deduced?

A. synonym
B. explanation
C. antonym
D. inference/general knowledge