dissect
Definitions
To cut apart (a body or specimen) in order to study its internal structure
解剖（尸体或标本）以研究其内部结构
To examine or analyze something in close detail
仔细剖析、详细分析（论点、问题等）
Root Breakdown
Root-deriveddis- (apart) + sect (cut) = 'cut apart.' Literally you cut a specimen apart to see what's inside. The figurative sense keeps the blade's precision: to dissect an argument or a film is to take it apart piece by piece and examine each part carefully — analysis, not destruction.
Root sect still carries 9 more wordsUsage Guide
Note the spelling and stress: dissect has a double s and is stressed on the second syllable, di-SECT (/dɪˈsekt/) — don't confuse it with bisect (cut in two). The figurative use is very common and fully neutral: pundits dissect a speech, fans dissect a game. It implies thorough, almost forensic analysis.
Example Sentences
- 1.
Students dissect a frog in their biology class.
- 2.
The committee dissected the report line by line.