dismember

American  

[dis-mem-ber] / dɪsˈmɛm bər /

verb (used with object)

1. to deprive of limbs; divide limb from limb.

   The ogre dismembered his victims before he ate them.

2. to divide into parts; cut to pieces; mutilate.

3. to reduce, reorganize, or discontinue the services or parts of (a company, government agency, etc.).

   Our business was dismembered by the conglomerate that bought it.

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dismember British  

/ dɪsˈmɛmbə /

verb

1. to remove the limbs or members of

2. to cut to pieces

3. to divide or partition (something, such as an empire)

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Other Word Forms

• dismemberer
  noun
• dismemberment
  noun
• nondismemberment
  noun

Etymology

Origin of dismember

1250–1300; Middle English dismembren < Anglo-French, Old French desmembrer, equivalent to des- dis- ¹ + -membrer, verbal derivative of membre member

Explanation

The verb dismember means to sever the limbs from a body. If you watch a horror movie, one of the necessary plot elements is for the villain to dismember a body or two... or twelve. Dismember is from the Latin word dismembrare, which itself is from the Latin roots de, meaning "take away," and membrum, meaning "limb." The verb dismember also means to cut up into pieces or take apart. If you are doing genealogical research on your family tree you may have difficulty if your ancestors are from a region that was dismembered. You may know your family was from the Soviet Union, for example, but since that country was dismembered, you now may need to check records in Uzbekistan or Azerbaijan to find the branches of your family tree.

Related Words

• dismantle
• maim
• mutilate
• sever
• sunder