Meanings
plural necropsies
- medicineThe pathological examination of a corpse, particularly to determine cause of death.First known use 19th c.
During the necropsy, he pored carefully through the body, combing the tissues and organs for signs of an abscess or wound.
2011, Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Emperor of all Maladies, Fourth Estate, page 131 more example
Anatomy theory led to morbid anatomy in necropsy studies pursued by, among others, Johann Wepfer (1620–95) and Théophile Bonet (1620–89), both Swiss.
1997, Roy Porter, The Greatest Benefit to Mankind, Folio Society, published 2016, page 255Synonyms: autopsy, post-mortem
present singular third person necropsies · participle present necropsying · participle past necropsied · past necropsied
- transitiveTo perform a necropsy on.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe pathological examination of a corpse, particularly to determine cause of death.
More synonyms by meaning
nounan examination and dissection of a dead body to determine cause of death or the changes produced by disease
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian дисекция
- дисекция (disekcija)pathological dissection of a corpse
Catalan necròpsia
- necròpsiapathological dissection of a corpse
Danish obduktion
- obduktionpathological dissection of a corpse
Esperanto nekropsio, obdukcio
- nekropsiopathological dissection of a corpse
- obdukciopathological dissection of a corpse
- aŭtopsiopathological dissection of a corpse
Finnish nekropsia, ruumiinavaus
- nekropsiapathological dissection of a corpse
- ruumiinavauspathological dissection of a corpse
French nécropsie, nécropsie
- nécropsiepathological dissection of a corpse
- nécropsieto perform a necropsy
German Nekropsie
- Nekropsiepathological dissection of a corpse
Greek νεκροψία, νεκροψία
- νεκροψία (nekropsía)pathological dissection of a corpse
- νεκροψία (nekropsía)to perform a necropsy
Portuguese necropsia, necropsiar
- necropsiapathological dissection of a corpse
- necropsiarto perform a necropsy
Swedish obduktion
- obduktionpathological dissection of a corpse
Cite this entry
necropsy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/necropsy
“necropsy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/necropsy. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “necropsy,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/necropsy.
Source: necropsy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.