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Glite Dictionary
to disinter

to disinter

1 9.5
To dig up a buried body or object to examine it
  • verb
  • /ˌdɪsɪnˈtɜr/
translation icon : desenterrar
  • After years of debate, the family agreed to disinter their ancestor's remains for the historical research.

Examples

  • Bodies were supposedly moved from the 1860s to the 1880s, but with only 10 men working to disinter the deceased, it's not physically possible that all plots were evacuated.

    Blog text (27)

  • Samia's research aims were both nationalist and leftist: to disinter a significant moment of a buried Palestinian past and to give voice to the people's view of the revolt.

    Academic text (1990)

  • "Can nothing be done to disinter this human soul?

    The Miracle Worker (1962)

  • The lawyer acknowledged it was highly unlikely his clients would seek to disinter.

    Blog text (19)

  • The Bamana consider albinos so powerful that they will even attempt to disinter them after death.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Only two witnesses claimed to have seen the defendants disinter a corpse, and they only testified about six of the accused.

    Academic text (2004)

  • She says the government strongly encourages families to disinter their loved ones and reinter them in the mass graves, even if the family members would prefer not to.

    Academic text (2010)

  • The authorities decided to disinter the old grave to collect evidence for the investigation.

  • A team of archaeologists was permitted to disinter the burial site to study ancient burial practices.

Synonyms

to exhume
vsto disinter
  • Specialized
34 8.1

To dig up a body from the ground for checking or burying again

is used mainly when digging up for investigation rather than reburial
to excavate
vsto disinter
28 5.8

To dig in the ground to find or remove old objects, often by archaeologists

is specific to removing buried bodies or objects for examination
to exhume the body
vsto disinter
  • Specialized
5 8.6

Dig up a buried body to examine it

is the same meaning but is a single word formal label

Antonyms

to bury
∞ 1.7

To put something in the ground and cover it with soil, for example a body or treasure

to inter
  • Formal
4 8.7

To put a dead body in a grave

How Formal

to exhume
  • Specialized
34 8.1
to disinter
1 9.5
to unearth
18 4.2
to dig up
139 2.0

Surface Forms

disinter infinitive
disinterring present participle
disinters third person singular
disinterred past
disinterred past participle

Morphology

disinter = inter (transparent) = dis + inter

For learners who know the verb 'inter', adding the reversive prefix 'dis-' gives the clear meaning 'remove from burial'.

Etymology

The word disinter is made of dis- meaning 'reverse' and inter meaning 'to bury', so it literally means 'undo burying' and that's why disinter means to dig up and remove a buried body or object.