tr.v., -sect·ed, -sect·ing, -sects.
- To cut apart or separate (tissue), especially for anatomical study.
- To examine, analyze, or criticize in minute detail: dissected the plan afterward to learn why it had failed. See synonyms at analyze.
[Latin dissecāre, dissect-, to cut apart : dis-, dis- + secāre, to cut up.]
dissectible dis·sec'ti·ble adj.dissector dis·sec'tor n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
