Dissection
/dɪˈsɛkʃən/
Definitions
2 meaningsThe act of cutting something open and examining it, usually to study its structure or function.
/dɪˈsɛkʃən/
The act of cutting apart something for scientific examination.
The biologist completed a dissection of the flower to observe its reproductive parts.
💡 Simply: Think of *dissection* like taking apart a toy to see how it works. Scientists and doctors do this with bodies or other things to learn about their parts.
👶 For kids: Cutting something open to look inside and see what's there.
More Examples
Forensic scientists used DNA analysis and meticulous dissection of the crime scene to solve the murder case.
The professor's lecture covered the ethics of human dissection.
How It's Used
"The medical student performed a dissection of the cadaver to study the anatomy."
"The frog dissection in the lab allowed students to understand the internal organs."
"The journalist's meticulous dissection of the political scandal revealed its hidden complexities."
A detailed and critical analysis or examination of a subject.
/dɪˈsɛkʃən/
Detailed and critical analysis of a subject.
The political analyst offered a thorough dissection of the election results.
💡 Simply: When you *dissect* something, you break it down into its parts to understand it better, like taking apart a puzzle to see each piece.
👶 For kids: Breaking down a big idea into smaller parts so you can understand it better.
More Examples
Her presentation offered a dissection of the film's themes and motifs.
The team's strategy involved a dissection of the competitor's weaknesses.
How It's Used
"The newspaper published a detailed dissection of the economic policy's shortcomings."
"The professor's lecture presented a dissection of the poem's themes and symbolism."
From Latin *dissecare* ('to cut apart'), from *dis-* ('apart') + *secare* ('to cut'). It originally referred to the process of cutting open and examining a body to study its parts.
Historically, dissection was a vital method for medical research and understanding the human anatomy, dating back to ancient times. It was often controversial due to religious and ethical considerations.
Memory tip
Imagine a surgeon *dissecting* a patient's body to learn about the disease, like cutting it apart to understand it.