dissection
AmericanOther Word Forms
- redissection noun
- self-dissection noun
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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The Hot Zone
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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.
"This is a very significant finding; it is the first genetic dissection of Race 4 resistance from this wild subspecies."
From Science Daily • Feb. 19, 2026
Kahn’s most representational works are his least interesting; it’s in the careful dissection of his elements and the revelation of what we’re looking at that the most joy is found.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025
But, in borrowing the familiar format of making-of documentaries, DVD bonus featurettes, even episodic reviews or recaps, they insist on a vision of television as an art worthy of discussion and dissection.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 11, 2025
Some find the film’s dissection of the economics of dating to be incisive, while others think it’s outdated and cold.
From Salon • Jun. 17, 2025
It helped to be a wee disreputable when you were a young surgeon, especially when it came to materials for post-mortem dissection.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.
