necropsy

noun nec·rop·sy \ ˈne-ˌkräp-sē \

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

Marine park experts will conduct a post-mortem examination, or necropsy, to learn more about the species and determine the cause of death.

— jeff mcdonald, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Pygymy sperm whale rescued from beach dies," 24 Aug. 2017
After seven mysteriously died in the span of only a few weeks last month, necropsies were performed on three of the whales.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "Fisherman Dies Moments After Saving Entangled Whale," 14 July 2017
Zoo authorities are awaiting the results of a necropsy for the official cause of death.

— julie shaw, Philly.com, "Newborn orangutan dies at Philadelphia Zoo," 11 July 2017
The deputy dug up the dog's body and took it to a veterinarian for a necropsy, which confirmed the cause of death to be strangulation.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "Keys woman accused of choking her pet Chihuahua to death," 28 June 2017
A necropsy has been completed, McNeill said, and little material was found in the black bear's stomach.

— jerzy shedlock, Alaska Dispatch News, "‘It came up from behind them and attacked’: Biologists ‘courageous’ in battle against bear," 23 June 2017
Since May 20, about 80 ducklings have been found dead in the Reflecting Pool, and necropsies showed the likely cause of death to be parasites that grow in snails that live in the water, the National Park Service said in a statement.

— justin wm. moyer, Washington Post, "Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to be drained, cleaned after parasite kills 80 ducklings," 9 June 2017
The dead dog's body was sent to the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine for a necropsy.

— bob warren, NOLA.com, "St. Tammany School Board to evaluate superintendent Thursday," 8 June 2017
The dog was preserved and delivered by investigators to the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine Diagnostic Laboratory for a forensic necropsy where it was determined the dog died of blunt force trauma, the news release states.

— erin sauder, Elgin Courier-News, "Man beat girlfriend’s dog to death after it peed on floor, police say," 1 June 2017

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.