disarticulate

American  

[dis-ahr-tik-yuh-leyt] / ˌdɪs ɑrˈtɪk yəˌleɪt /

verb (used with or without object)

disarticulated, disarticulating

1. to make or become disjointed, as the bones of a body or stems of a plant.

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disarticulate British  

/ ˌdɪsɑːˈtɪkjʊˌleɪt /

verb

1. to separate or cause to separate at the joints, esp those of bones

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Other Word Forms

• disarticulation noun
• disarticulator noun

Etymology

Origin of disarticulate

First recorded in 1820–30; dis- ¹ + articulate

Example Sentences

“The aircraft is largely disarticulated,” according to Wayne Lusardi, Michigan’s state maritime archaeologist with the Department of Natural Resources and organizer of the recovery effort.

From Seattle Times

The researchers found that structural details in the articulated bones matched those in many of the disarticulated ones, suggesting they belonged to the same individual.

From Scientific American

I cleaned and polished fox skulls; disarticulated, dried and kept the wings of roadkill birds.

From New York Times

If he didn’t do the film, somebody else would eventually, disarticulating it with the sort of hyperbole he hated and which he made such an effort to avoid in his own accounts.

From Golf Digest

The remains will then be “disarticulated” and incinerated.

From Washington Post