VIVISECT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does vivisect mean? 

• VIVISECT (verb)
  The verb VIVISECT has 1 sense:

1. cut (a body) open while still alive

  Familiarity information: VIVISECT used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• VIVISECT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they vivisect    ... he / she / it vivisects   
Past simple: vivisected   
Past participle: vivisected   
-ing form: vivisecting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cut (a body) open while still alive

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

people no longer vivisect animals--it's considered unethical

Hypernyms (to "vivisect" is one way to...):

dissect (cut open or cut apart)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

vivisection (the act of operating on living animals (especially in scientific research))

 Context examples 

In fact, I was vivisecting him and turning over his soul-stuff as keenly and thoroughly as it was his custom to do it to others.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Wolf Larsen looked curiously at him, as though about to probe and vivisect him, then changed his mind, as from the foregone conclusion that there was nothing there to probe.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)