First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
anatomy
noun anat·o·my \ə-ˈna-tə-mē\
biology : the study of the structure of living things
: the parts that form a living thing (such as an animal or plant)
: a person's body
plural anat·o·mies
Full Definition of ANATOMY
1
: a branch of morphology that deals with the structure of organisms
2
: a treatise on anatomical science or art
3
: the art of separating the parts of an organism in order to ascertain their position, relations, structure, and function : dissection
4
obsolete : a body dissected or to be dissected
5
: structural makeup especially of an organism or any of its parts
6
: a separating or dividing into parts for detailed examination : analysis
7
— an·a·tom·i·cal \ˌa-nə-ˈtä-mi-kəl\ or an·a·tom·ic \-ˈtä-mik\ adjective
— an·a·tom·i·cal·ly \-mi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb
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Origin of ANATOMY
Late Latin anatomia dissection, from Greek anatomē, from anatemnein to dissect, from ana- + temnein to cut
Related to ANATOMY
- Synonyms
- anatomizing, analysis, assay, breakdown, deconstruction, dissection
Other Anatomy Terms
ANATOMIES Defined for Kids
anatomy
noun anat·o·my \ə-ˈna-tə-mē\
plural anat·o·mies
Definition of ANATOMY for Kids
1
: a science that has to do with the structure of living things
2
: the structural makeup especially of a person or animal <the anatomy of the cat>
Medical Dictionary
anatomy
noun anat·o·my \ə-ˈnat-ə-mē\
plural anat·o·mies
Medical Definition of ANATOMY
1
: a branch of morphology that deals with the structure of organisms—compare physiology 1
2
: a treatise on anatomic science or art
3
: the art of separating the parts of an organism in order to ascertain their position, relations, structure, and function : dissection
4
: structural makeup especially of an organism or any of its parts
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