dissect

Definition

To study an animal's anatomy by cutting it apart; to perform a necropsy or an autopsy.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dissectus past participle of dissecare (“to cut asunder, cut up”), from dis- (“asunder”) + secare (“to cut”); see section.

Example Sentences

• "She was the first person in her class to properly dissect the sheep heart."
• "Academics tend to take Indigenous oral histories out of their contexts and dissect them according to Western disciplinary objectives and foci (see figure 1)."
• "By focusing excessively on dissecting the text into 'forms' and exploring their supposed evolution, form criticism overlooks the larger literary and historical context within which these forms exist."