anatomy

noun

anat·o·my | \ə-ˈna-tə-mē

plural anatomies

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 the anatomy of birds human anatomy

6 : a separating or dividing into parts for detailed examination : analysis the anatomy of a marriage

7a(1) : skeleton

(2) : mummy

b : the human body wore an outfit that showed off various parts of her anatomy

Other Words from anatomy Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about anatomy

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Other Words from anatomy

anatomical \ ˌa-nə-ˈtä-mi-kəl

\ or anatomic \ -ˈtä-mik

\ adjective

anatomically \ -mi-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

Examples of anatomy in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

In one of a handful of videos, a group of Brazilian men surround a woman and encourage her to chant with them in Portuguese an offensive word for female anatomy. — Washington Post, "Fans at World Cup criticized for videos disrespecting women," 20 June 2018 The actress, 71, took to Twitter to give her two cents about the comedian calling the first daughter a vulgar word for the female anatomy on Thursday with a very specific critique. — Ale Russian, PEOPLE.com, "Sally Field Has an Epic Response to Samantha Bee's Comments About Ivanka Trump," 1 June 2018 According to internal emails, Dr. Marlene Corton, a researcher at UT Southwestern who, according to her website, focuses on the female anatomy, was able to get donor tissue free of charge and without going through the official tracking system. — Michelle Weber, Longreads, "You’re Putting My Brain Where, Exactly?," 16 June 2018 Sauropods, which include dinosaurs like the brachiosaurus, underwent several significant changes in their anatomy, gaining longer necks, four thick legs and smaller heads, with some weighing as much as 70 tons. — Brett Molina, USA TODAY, "Fossil of first giant dinosaur, dubbed Ingentia prima, found in Argentina," 11 July 2018 The face is composed of scraps, mix-and-match fragments of anatomy, swatches and swipes of color. — Leah Ollman, latimes.com, "Like song sampling as painting: Nathaniel Mary Quinn's puzzle-like portraits of personhood," 6 June 2018 And the anatomy of the conflict, extensively revealed in court records as well as testimony at trial by the main participants, exposes one of the most naked accounts of governance gone awry in corporate history. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, "Paper Jam! How Carl Icahn And a Billionaire Partner Blocked Xerox’s Merger with Fujifilm," 21 May 2018 With others, doctors can create a GPS-like map projected onto a patient’s body to virtually see inside the anatomy before an operation, track their surgical tools and help them operate more precisely. — Laura Landro, WSJ, "The Operating Room of the Future," 28 May 2018 Continuing down the body, CCD can affect virtually bone in the anatomy. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "'Stranger Things' Star Gaten Matarazzo Shares What Life Is Like With His Rare Bone Disorder," 26 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anatomy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.