Standard Lemma guide

dismember

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌdɪsˈmɛmbə(ɹ)/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛmbə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S M EH1 M B ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To remove the limbs of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Death by drawing and quartering usually dismembered the condemned person.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To cut or otherwise divide something into pieces.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The killer methodically dismembered the bodies of his victims.
  • The American Civil War nearly dismembered the Union.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

separate the limbs from the body

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the tiger dismembered the tourist

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: kill

4

verb

Meaning 4

divide into pieces

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • our department was dismembered when our funding dried up
  • The Empire was discerped after the war

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: take apart, discerp

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: separate, divide, part

History

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French desmembrer, from des- (“de-”) + membre (“limb”) + -er (“verbal suffix”).

Across languages

Translations

40 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: بَتَرَ (batara) — remove limbs
  • Arabic: فَكَّكَ (fakkaka) — remove limbs
  • Chinese Mandarin: 斷手足 /断手足 (duàn shǒuzú) — remove limbs
  • Chinese Mandarin: 支解 (zhījiě) — remove limbs
  • Chinese Mandarin: 肢解 (zhījiě) — remove limbs
  • Finnish: teilata — remove limbs
  • French: démembrer — remove limbs
  • French: dépecer — remove limbs
  • Galician: desmembrar — remove limbs
  • German: zergliedern — remove limbs
  • Greek: διαμελίζω (diamelízo) — remove limbs
  • Ancient Greek: διαμελίζω (diamelízō) — remove limbs
  • Ido: deskorpizar — remove limbs
  • Japanese: 切り放す (kirihanasu) — remove limbs
  • Korean: 육시하다 (yuksihada) — remove limbs
  • Macedonian: обесчленува (obesčlenuva) — remove limbs
  • Polish: rozczłonkowywać — remove limbs
  • Polish: rozczłonkować — remove limbs
  • Portuguese: desmembrar — remove limbs
  • Russian: расчленя́ть (rasčlenjátʹ) — remove limbs
  • Russian: расчлени́ть (rasčlenítʹ) — remove limbs
  • Russian: четвертова́ть (četvertovátʹ) — remove limbs
  • Swedish: lemlästa — remove limbs
  • Ukrainian: розчлено́вувати (rozčlenóvuvaty) — remove limbs
  • Ukrainian: розчленува́ти (rozčlenuváty) — remove limbs
  • Finnish: paloitella — cut into pieces
  • Finnish: hajottaa — cut into pieces
  • German: zerstückeln — cut into pieces
  • Greek: διαμελίζω (diamelízo) — cut into pieces
  • Ancient Greek: διαμελίζω (diamelízō) — cut into pieces
  • Māori: kotikoti — cut into pieces
  • Polish: ćwiartować — cut into pieces
  • Polish: poćwiartować — cut into pieces
  • Portuguese: desmembrar — cut into pieces
  • Russian: расчленя́ть (rasčlenjátʹ) — cut into pieces
  • Russian: расчлени́ть (rasčlenítʹ) — cut into pieces
  • Spanish: descuartizar — cut into pieces
  • Spanish: desmembrar — cut into pieces
  • Swedish: stycka — cut into pieces
  • Tagalog: hiwagin — cut into pieces