dissection
Americannoun
-
dissections
plural
-
the act of dissecting.
-
something that has been dissected.
-
a detailed, part-by-part analysis.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of dissection
1575–85; < Latin dissectiōn- (stem of dissectiō ), equivalent to dissect- ( see dissect) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Dissection is the process of separating something into pieces. Whether the dissection involves taking a poem apart line-by-line to learn its meaning or cutting open a frog to study its insides, you're pulling out the parts that make up a whole to better understand it. Let's dissect, or take apart, this word for a moment. Dis- means "apart" and section means "to cut", which come together to form the definition of dissection: "to cut apart." When you cut something up into sections you're doing a dissection. The word is commonly used when talking about the process of cutting something apart for scientific purposes, it's also used to talk about taking apart an argument, a poem, or a plan.
Vocabulary lists containing dissection
Geometry - High School
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Geometry (Base List)
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A Cut Above: Sect, Sec
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Graham died over the weekend due to an "aortic dissection" caused by cardiovascular disease, according to a preliminary finding by the Washington DC medical examiner.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
The death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, likely from an aortic dissection, was so sudden it stunned leaders the world over.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
The late GOP senator from South Carolina died suddenly on Saturday evening at the age of 71 due to an aortic dissection, a death that would have mercifully been fast.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
With aortic dissection, a tear occurs in the wall of the aorta.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
His notes from the dissection sessions are exhaustive.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
The actors John Ritter and Alan Thicke also died from aortic dissections.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Aortic dissections are sudden, often lethal and notoriously difficult to predict even in patients under close medical supervision.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
The biggest gripe from VAR detractors is that forensic dissections of game footage take the action out of their high-speed context.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Settle in for some amusing dissections of popular docuseries like “Making a Murderer” and “The Jinx,” as well as the simultaneously moralizing and exploitative “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2025
Tyson carried out many other famous dissections, including a rattlesnake and an ostrich.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
