verb · 8 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.
UK:/dɪˈsɛkt/
UK:/daɪˈsɛkt/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/dɪˈsɛkt/
US:/daɪˈsɛkt/
rhymes with -ɛkt
CMU ARPABET:D AY0 S EH1 K T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To study an animal's anatomy by cutting it apart; to perform a necropsy or an autopsy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Qualifier: literal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To study a plant's or other organism's anatomy similarly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Qualifier: literal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To analyze an idea in detail by delineating between its parts.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To decontextualize an idea, especially through overanalysis by delineating between its parts too strongly based on style, usually involving pedantry, at the expense of substance.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, figuratively, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: contextomize
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To separate muscles, organs, etc. without cutting into them or disrupting their architecture.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Qualifier: literal
Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences, surgery
Examples
Now dissect the triceps away from its attachment on the humerus.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
Of an infection or foreign material, following the fascia separating muscles or other organs.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Qualifier: literal
Topics: medicine, pathology, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
make a mathematical, chemical, or grammatical analysis of; break down into components or essential features
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
analyze a specimen
analyze a sentence
analyze a chemical compound
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: analyze, analyse, break down, take apart
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: parse, botanize, botanise
8
verb
Meaning 8
cut open or cut apart
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
dissect the bodies for analysis
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cut
Narrower terms: vivisect, anatomize, anatomise
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin dissectus past participle of dissecare (“to cut asunder, cut up”), from dis- (“asunder”) + secare (“to cut”); see section.
Across languages
Translations
48 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
հերձել
(herjel)
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Bulgarian:
правя дисекция
(pravja disekcija)
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Catalan:
dissecar
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Catalan:
disseccionar
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Chinese Mandarin:
解剖
(jiěpōu)
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Czech:
pitvat
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Danish:
dissekere
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Dutch:
ontleden
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Finnish:
leikellä
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
French:
disséquer
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
German:
sezieren
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Greek:
ανατέμνω
(anatémno)
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Hungarian:
boncol
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Icelandic:
kryfja
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Ido:
dissekar
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Italian:
dissecare
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Latin:
dissecō
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Persian:
تشریح کردن
(tašrih kardan)
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Polish:
przeprowadzić sekcję
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Portuguese:
dissecar
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Romanian:
diseca
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Russian:
анатомировать
(anatomirovatʹ)
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Russian:
вскрыва́ть
(vskryvátʹ)
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Russian:
препарировать
(preparirovatʹ)
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Spanish:
disecar
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Spanish:
diseccionar
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Swedish:
dissekera
— to study a dead animal's anatomy by cutting it apart
Catalan:
dissecar
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
Catalan:
disseccionar
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
Chinese Mandarin:
剖视
(pōushì)
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
Dutch:
ontleden
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
Finnish:
eritellä
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
French:
disséquer
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
German:
zerlegen
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
German:
analysieren
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
Greek:
ανατέμνω
(anatémno)
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
Ido:
dissekar
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
Persian:
تشریح کردن
(tašrih kardan)
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
Portuguese:
dissecar
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
Romanian:
diseca
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
Russian:
анализи́ровать
(analizírovatʹ)
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
Russian:
проводи́ть ана́лиз
(provodítʹ análiz)
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
Russian:
разбира́ть критически
(razbirátʹ kritičeski)
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
Spanish:
diseccionar
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
Swedish:
dissekera
— to analyze an idea in detail by separating it into its parts
Finnish:
irrottaa
— to separate muscles, organs, and so on without cutting or disrupting
Ido:
dissekar
— to separate muscles, organs, and so on without cutting or disrupting
Spanish:
disecar
— to separate muscles, organs, and so on without cutting or disrupting
