anatomy

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noun anat·o·my \ə-ˈna-tə-mē\

biology : the study of the structure of living things

: the parts that form a living thing (such as an animal or plant)

: a person's body

plural anat·o·mies

Full Definition of ANATOMY

1

:  a branch of morphology that deals with the structure of organisms

2

:  a treatise on anatomical science or art

3

:  the art of separating the parts of an organism in order to ascertain their position, relations, structure, and function :  dissection

4

obsolete :  a body dissected or to be dissected

5

:  structural makeup especially of an organism or any of its parts

6

:  a separating or dividing into parts for detailed examination :  analysis

7

a (1) :  skeleton (2) :  mummy

b :  the human body

— an·a·tom·i·cal \ˌa-nə-ˈtä-mi-kəl\ or an·a·tom·ic \-ˈtä-mik\ adjective

— an·a·tom·i·cal·ly \-mi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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Examples of ANATOMY

1. We had to take a class on anatomy.
2. learning about the anatomies of different types of birds
3. learning about the anatomy of an earthquake

Origin of ANATOMY

Late Latin anatomia dissection, from Greek anatomē, from anatemnein to dissect, from ana- + temnein to cut

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to ANATOMY

Synonyms

anatomizing, analysis, assay, breakdown, deconstruction, dissection

Related Words

assessment, diagnosis, evaluation, examination, inspection, investigation, muster, scrutiny; arrangement, assortment, cataloging (or cataloguing), categorization, classification, codification, indexing; enumeration, inventory, itemization, tabulation; division, reduction, segmentation, separation, subdivision

Near Antonyms

agglomeration, aggregation, amalgamation, assimilation, coalescence, conglomeration, consolidation, integration, synthesis, unification

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

anatomy

noun anat·o·my \ə-ˈnat-ə-mē\   (Medical Dictionary)

plural anat·o·mies

Medical Definition of ANATOMY

1

:  a branch of morphology that deals with the structure of organisms—compare physiology 1

2

:  a treatise on anatomic science or art

3

:  the art of separating the parts of an organism in order to ascertain their position, relations, structure, and function :  dissection

4

:  structural makeup especially of an organism or any of its parts