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necropsy

American  
[nek-rop-see] / ˈnɛk rɒp si /

noun

plural

necropsies

  1. the examination of a body after death; autopsy.

verb (used with object)

necropsied, necropsying

  1. to perform a necropsy on.

necropsy British  
/ nɛˈkrɒskəpɪ, ˈnɛkrɒpsɪ /

noun

  1. another name for autopsy

"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

Etymology

Origin of necropsy

1855–60; necr- + -opsy 1

Compare meaning

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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.

A necropsy was conducted at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine on Tuesday, revealing that “almost the entire liver” was overtaken with cancerous tumors, Shepherd said.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025

"We've managed to retrieve his remains and put him in a cooled area, in preparation for a necropsy by the veterinary institute," he told AFP news agency.

From BBC • Sep. 1, 2024

Yet Majrad’s death was especially devastating, conservationist Raza Kazmi reported: When researchers performed a necropsy, they found she’d been pregnant with triplets.

From Slate • May 25, 2024

Authorities say a necropsy will be performed to possibly shed light on what is affecting the fish, which could take weeks or months to determine.

From Seattle Times • May 3, 2024

I walked farther down the line to the photos from the necropsy, the shark twisted into the rocks like a huge white sea monster washed up from the pages of an old story.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

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.