dissect

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To cut open a body to study its internal parts.

   She was the first in her class to properly dissect the sheep's heart.

2. 2
   verb

   To examine an idea or topic in close detail.

   The critics spent hours dissecting every line of the new novel.

Simplified etymology

Dissect, recorded from the late 16th century, is built on Latin secare, meaning “to cut.” It belongs to the same family as insect, section, secateurs, and segment.

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

Topics

External links

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