dissect
4 synonyms for dissect, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To cut open a body, plant, or organism to examine its internal structure.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
break down
take apart
How to use dissect
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
dissect a frog
dissect an argument
dissect the data
Etymology
From Latin dissecare, "to cut apart," from dis- ("apart") + secare ("to cut") — related to "section."
Full origin of dissect →Frequently asked questions
What does “dissect” mean?
The word “dissect” means to cut open a body, plant, or organism to examine its internal structure. In plain terms, to cut something apart to look inside it, or to analyse something piece by piece.
How do you pronounce “dissect”?
“Dissect” is pronounced dih-SEHKT (/dɪˈsɛkt/ in IPA).
How do you use “dissect” in a sentence?
Here is “dissect” used in a sentence: “Students dissected a frog in biology class.”
What part of speech is “dissect”?
“Dissect” is a verb.
Where does the word “dissect” come from?
The word “dissect” comes from Latin. From Latin dissecare, "to cut apart," from dis- ("apart") + secare ("to cut") — related to "section.".
How many meanings does “dissect” have?
“Dissect” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to cut open a body, plant, or organism to examine its internal structure.
