anatomy

American  

[uh-nat-uh-mee] / əˈnæt ə mi /

noun

plural

anatomies

1. the science dealing with the structure of animals and plants.

2. the structure of an animal or plant, or of any of its parts.

3. dissection of all or part of an animal or plant in order to study its structure.

4. a plant or animal that has been or will be dissected, or a model of such a dissected organism.

5. a skeleton.

6. Informal. the human body.

7. an analysis or minute examination.

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anatomy British  

/ əˈnætəmɪ /

noun

1. the science concerned with the physical structure of animals and plants

2. the physical structure of an animal or plant or any of its parts

3. a book or treatise on this subject

4. dissection of an animal or plant

5. any detailed analysis

   the anatomy of a crime

6. informal the human body

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anatomy Scientific  

/ ə-năt′ə-mē /

1. The structure of an organism or any of its parts.

2. The scientific study of the shape and structure of organisms and their parts.

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anatomy Cultural  

1. The structure of an animal or plant; also, the study of this structure through techniques such as microscopic observation and dissection. (Compare morphology and physiology.)

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Etymology

Origin of anatomy

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin anatomia, from Greek anatom(ḗ) “dissection” (from ana- ana- + tomḗ “a cutting,” noun derivative of témnein “to cut”) + -ia -y ³

Example Sentences

"This is the largest data set ever assembled for Tyrannosaurus rex," says Holly Woodward, a professor of anatomy at Oklahoma State University who led the research effort.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2026

"The people using these products are, in essence, becoming lab rats," Adam Taylor, professor of anatomy at Lancaster University, explains.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

"Setting the anatomy and proportions requires visualisation from multiple angles and repeated adjustments," he said.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

The vast majority of people have no reason to ever spend any time at all thinking about this particular part of human anatomy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

He knew about as much as was known about the anatomy of the brain and the symptoms and severities of lesion and thrombus.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck