necropsy

noun

nec·rop·sy | \ ˈne-ˌkräp-sē

plural necropsies

Definition of necropsy

(Entry 1 of 2)

: autopsy sense 1 especially : an autopsy performed on an animal

necropsy

verb

necropsied; necropsying

Definition of necropsy (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to perform an autopsy on

Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about necropsy

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Did You Know?

Human autopsies are generally performed either to determine the cause of death or to observe the deadly effects of a disease for research or education purposes. Autopsies may be necessary when tracking an epidemic; they're also performed to discover whether a death might actually have resulted from murder, and if so, what evidence it might reveal that could help catch the murderer. Animal necropsies are actually more common than human autopsies, since a farmer with livestock is always concerned that whatever killed one animal not pose a threat to the others.

Examples of necropsy in a Sentence

Noun

a necropsy failed to definitively establish a cause of death

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The first was a partial necropsy of a whale in Resurrection Bay in 2006, the second was a calf near Homer in 2009. — Alex Mccarthy, The Seattle Times, "Find allows for third sperm whale necropsy ever in Alaska," 13 Apr. 2019 That’s an incredibly large amount of plastic, and a necropsy of the animal found most of it was in the form of plastic bags. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "A Whale Washed Up on a Beach with 88 Pounds of Plastic in Its Stomach," 19 Mar. 2019 The New England Aquarium said in a statement that a necropsy revealed the porpoise’s liver and other organs had been compromised by an unusually high number of parasites. — Laney Ruckstuhl, BostonGlobe.com, "Pregnant porpoise dies on Dorchester Bay shore during the last nor’easter," 10 Mar. 2018 Scientists from the Marine Mammal Center, California Academy of Sciences, Point Reyes National Seashore and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration participated in the necropsy, the Journal reported. — Amy Lieu, Fox News, "Blue whale found on California coast died from ship strike, scientists say," 20 June 2018 University of Georgia After that, scientists ran a battery of tests: a full necropsy, a CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, researchers said. — Jared Gilmour, miamiherald, "He was hunting wild mushrooms. Instead he found a rare, inexplicable two-headed deer | Miami Herald," 10 May 2018 United said in a previous statement to PEOPLE in response to news of Kokito’s necropsy. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, "Family of Kokito, French Bulldog that Died in United Overhead Bin, Reaches Settlement with Airline," 25 May 2018 The tribe, assisted by the Cascadia Research biologist, performed a necropsy on the beach. — Lynda V. Mapes, The Seattle Times, "Whale killed by ship near Neah Bay now a harvest celebration as Makah Nation prepares feast," 24 Aug. 2018 It was taken to a federal wildlife health lab in Madison, Wisconsin, for a necropsy. — John Flesher, The Seattle Times, "Wolf taken to Isle Royale National Park this fall dies," 14 Nov. 2018

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