dismember

What it means

1. transitiveTo remove the limbs of.

   Death by drawing and quartering usually dismembered the condemned person.

2. transitiveTo cut or otherwise divide something into pieces.

   The American Civil War nearly dismembered the Union.

   1 more example

   The killer methodically dismembered the bodies of his victims.

In a sentence

Death by drawing and quartering usually dismembered the condemned person.

Where it comes from

1. Old Frenchdesmembrer
2. Englishdismember

From Middle English, from Old French desmembrer, from des- (“de-”) + membre (“limb”) + -er (“verbal suffix”).