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autopsy

[ aw-top-see, aw-tuhp- ]
/ ˈɔ tɒp si, ˈɔ təp- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR autopsy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural au·top·sies.

inspection and dissection of a body after death, as for determination of the cause of death; postmortem examination.
an analysis of something after it has been done or made.

verb (used with object), au·top·sied, au·top·sy·ing.

to perform an autopsy on.

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Origin of autopsy

1645–55; (<Middle French autopsie) <Greek autopsía a seeing with one's own eyes, equivalent to aut-aut- + óps(is) -opsis + -ia-y3

OTHER WORDS FROM autopsy

au·top·sist, noun

Words nearby autopsy

autoplast, autoplasty, autopolymer resin, autopolyploid, autopotamic, autopsy, autoput, auto racing, autoradiograph, autoradiography, autoregulation
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to autopsy

postmortem, dissection, necropsy

Example sentences from the Web for autopsy

British Dictionary definitions for autopsy

autopsy
/ (ˈɔːtəpsɪ, ɔːˈtɒp-) /

noun plural -sies

Also called: necropsy, postmortem examination dissection and examination of a dead body to determine the cause of death
an eyewitness observation
any critical analysis

Word Origin for autopsy

C17: from New Latin autopsia, from Greek: seeing with one's own eyes, from auto- + opsis sight
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for autopsy

autopsy
[ ô′tŏp′sē ]

n.

An examination of a cadaver in order to determine the cause of death or to study pathologic changes.necropsy postmortem postmortem examination
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for autopsy

autopsy
[ ô′tŏp′sē ]

A medical examination of a dead body to determine the cause of death or to study pathologic changes.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.