disinter

verb

dis·​in·​ter ˌdis-in-ˈtər How to pronounce disinter (audio)
disinterred; disinterring; disinters

transitive verb

1
: to take out of the grave or tomb
2
: to bring back into awareness or prominence
also : to bring to light : unearth
disinterment noun

Examples of disinter in a Sentence

The body was disinterred for further study. the Egyptian mummy was carefully disinterred
Recent Examples on the Web The Independent reported that detectives reopened the case in 2021, according to the district attorney, and the baby's remains were disinterred in 2022. Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2023 The remains of the 388 unidentified sailors – including Finnegan – were interred, then later disinterred in 1947 in another unsuccessful attempt to identify more sailors before being buried again in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in 1950. Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 10 Sep. 2023 On June 21, 2022, Brewer’s remains were disinterred and analyzed. al, 4 Sep. 2023 As many as a dozen corpses might be disinterred, Dr. Skóra said. Franz Lidz, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2023 In July 2018, the agency disinterred 652 Korean War Unknowns from the Punchbowl and in the third phase, the agency disinterred X-260 and sent the remains to its laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for analysis, the agency said. Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN, 29 May 2023 Existing law to protect unmarked cemeteries in Illinois failed to create a pathway for tribal nations to rebury ancestral remains that had been disinterred. Logan Jaffe, ProPublica, 5 Aug. 2023 Sierra has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder and disinterring a corpse. John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, 31 May 2023 After the war, the American Graves Registration Command disinterred all US remains from the Bolovan Cemetery for identification. Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN, 29 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disinter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of disinter was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near disinter

Cite this Entry

“Disinter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disinter. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

disinter

verb
dis·​in·​ter ˌdis-ᵊn-ˈtər How to pronounce disinter (audio)
1
: to take out of the grave or tomb
2
: to bring back into awareness : unearth
disinterment noun

Medical Definition

disinter

transitive verb
dis·​in·​ter ˌdis-ᵊn-ˈtər How to pronounce disinter (audio)
: to take out of the grave or tomb
disinterment noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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