necropsy
Americannoun
-
necropsies
plural
verb (used with object)
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of necropsy
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How does necropsy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A necropsy is a surgical examination of a dead body, most commonly a dead animal, in order to learn why the animal died. A more common word for necropsy is autopsy. Either way, it's the dissection of a corpse performed to learn something about the cause of death or about a particular disease. Frequently the word necropsy is used when the body being examined is not human — in the case of a laboratory animal, for example. Whenever you see the prefix necro, you can be sure the word has something to do with death. In this case, it's combined with opsis, "a sight" in Greek.
Vocabulary lists containing necropsy
Common Senses: Op, Ops, Opt ("Sight")
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op, ops, opt (sight)
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The Line Tender
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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:
A preliminary necropsy report found the equine had ingested a common but poisonous plant that is found in the park.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
One orangutan died after being rescued last week, with a necropsy result pointing to smoke exposure as the cause of death, the West Kalimantan natural resources conservation agency said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026
The Army Corp of Engineers towed a body to a secluded beach for George and her team to perform a necropsy.
From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2026
They compared these records with necropsy data from stranded whales.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 13, 2026
I gathered up my art supplies and found clothes, but couldn’t decide which shoes to wear to a necropsy.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
Whenever they encountered sick or dead animals, the scientists collected tissue and environmental samples and conducted necropsies to determine the cause of death.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 12, 2026
Pathologists will carry out necropsies on the animals, looking for neurological disease like rabies or signs of human DNA.
From Barron's ● Jan. 2, 2026
He was reinstated when the necropsies of those horses were inconclusive.
From New York Times ● May 2, 2024
—Enforcing rules around fatality and injury reporting and necropsies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2023
She told him that she had just finished the necropsies of the seven animals.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
The bear's remains will be necropsied - an autopsy performed on an animal - among other tests, including attempting to obtain DNA samples pn it that match the victim.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2025
Lowe, who has necropsied infected cows, found no virus in their respiratory tracts, which could enable spread through the air.
From Science Magazine ● Apr. 22, 2024
In 1999 and 2000, 651 whales stranded onshore, but only three whales were necropsied.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2024
“There is not enough high-quality food for the animals,” de Wit said, showing slides of necropsied animals with severe internal damage from starvation.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 20, 2022
And once researchers tally up any lacerations, lost claws, or broken bones, the average injury score for all the animals necropsied needs to be 55 or lower.
From Salon ● Jan. 12, 2022
During the necropsying, she kept her blond hair pulled back with a stretchy purple headband and wore a pair of yellow rainboots decorated with cartoon chickens.
From Salon ● Jan. 12, 2022
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
