necropsy

noun nec·rop·sy \ ˈne-ˌkräp-sē \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of necropsy

plural necropsies

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

See necropsy defined for kids

Examples of necropsy in a Sentence

a necropsy failed to definitively establish a cause of death

Recent Examples of necropsy from the Web

In order to better understand what happened to the flock of geese Saturday, wildlife officials will send several off for necropsies to determine an official cause of death.

— jennifer earl, Fox News, "More than 50 dead geese fall from Idaho sky in 'freak accident'," 10 Apr. 2018
But Lippe said the necropsy showed that the dog had been undernourished in the days leading up to its death.

— libby solomon, baltimoresun.com, "Arbutus man charged with animal cruelty after dog, Oscar, dies of hypothermia," 19 Mar. 2018
Researchers had hoped to tow it to shore for a necropsy.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "Frenzy of hungry sharks turns 28-foot dead whale into a buffet off Georgia coast | Charlotte Observer," 26 Mar. 2018
The puppy was then transported to Michigan State University in order for a necropsy to be performed.

— matt rocheleau, BostonGlobe.com, "The details of 40 animal deaths, injuries, losses aboard US airlines," 15 Mar. 2018
United has contacted Robledo and offered to pay for a necropsy, an autopsy for animals.

— leada gore, AL.com, "United Airlines apologizes after puppy dies in overhead bin," 14 Mar. 2018
The Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Madison is conducting all necropsies for the project.

— paul a. smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: CWD-positive deer die at three times rate of non-diseased animals in Wisconsin study," 28 Feb. 2018
Bryce was euthanized after consultation with federal officials and the crane foundation, with the carcass sent to experts in Madison, Wisconsin, for a necropsy, Gymesi said.

— james bruggers, The Courier-Journal, "Sad ending for whooping crane who was recovering at the Louisville Zoo," 21 Feb. 2018
Even then, the diagnosis is not considered definitive until the dog dies and a necropsy is performed.

— kim campbell thornton, sacbee, "Tests suggest new hope for dogs with a common disease | The Sacramento Bee," 10 Jan. 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.

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.