dissected

American  

[dih-sek-tid, dahy-] / dɪˈsɛk tɪd, daɪ- /

adjective

1. Botany. deeply divided into numerous segments, as a leaf.

2. Physical Geography. separated, by erosion, into many closely spaced crevices or gorges, as the surface of a plateau.

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dissected British  

/ daɪ-, dɪˈsɛktɪd /

adjective

1. botany in the form of narrow lobes or segments

   dissected leaves

2. geology (of plains) cut by erosion into hills and valleys, esp following tectonic movements

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Other Word Forms

• undissected adjective
• well-dissected adjective

Etymology

Origin of dissected

First recorded in 1625–35; dissect + -ed ²

Example Sentences

Mastick and her team opened 178 cans and carefully dissected the preserved fish, counting tiny parasitic worms known as anisakids embedded in the flesh.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

The unsealed court filings mark the latest chapter in a case which has been dissected by internet sleuths for months.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

Everything nowadays is documented, live-streamed and dissected, so his silence represented something my generation is deeply uncomfortable with: the absence of a narrative.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 30, 2025

The powerful men connected to him are named, dissected and speculated about.

From Salon • Dec. 17, 2025

In my lunch group, we dissected whatever had gone on that morning at school, any beefs we had with teachers, any assignments that struck us as useless.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama