anatomy
Meanings
- The science that deals with the form and structure of organic bodies; anatomical structure or organization.
- The study of the parts of any organized body, to discover their situation, structure, and economy.
- The physical or functional organization of an organism, or part of it.
- A treatise or book on anatomy.
- The form of an individual.
- The human body, especially in reference to the genitals.
- A skeleton or other dead body.
- The act of dividing anything, corporeal or intellectual, for the purpose of examining its parts.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- Proto-Hellenic *aná Ancient Greek ᾰ̓νᾰ́ (ănắ) Ancient Greek ἀνα- (ana-) Proto-Indo-European *temh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-né- Ancient Greek τέμνω (témnō) Ancient Greek ἀνατέμνω (anatémnō) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Ancient Greek -ᾱ (-ā) Ancient Greek -η (-ē) Ancient Greek ἀνατομή (anatomḗ) Ancient Greek *ἀνατομία (*anatomía)bor. Latin anatomiader. Old French anatomiebor. Middle English anatomie English anatomy From Middle English anatomie, from Old French anatomie, from Latin anatomia, from Ancient Greek *ἀνατομία (*anatomía), from ἀνατομή (anatomḗ, “dissection”, literally “cutting up”), from ἀνά (aná, “up”) + τέμνω (témnō, “to cut, incise”). By surface analysis, ana- + -tomy. Doublet of ottomy.