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Glite Dictionary
postmortem examination

postmortem examination

2 5.8
A medical check that cuts open a dead body to find the cause of death
  • noun
  • /ˌpoʊstˈmɔrtəm ɪɡˈzæməˌneɪʃən/
  • NSFW
translation icon : autopsia
  • The doctor conducted a postmortem examination to find out how the patient died.

And it's insulated with a substance called myelin, which appears white when you do postmortem examination.

Examples

  • During the postmortem examination, grossly hyperemic trachea, congested lungs, and swollen kidneys were observed (Figure 1 and 2).

    Academic text (2015)

  • Results from the postmortem examination revealed that the cause of death was a heart attack.

  • A postmortem examination of morbid birds was conducted.

    Academic text (2015)

  • Postmortem examinations were performed on all three ferrets.

    Academic text (2012)

  • A postmortem examination revealed large amounts of soil in her lungs and stomach, indicating that she had been alive and conscious while being buried.

    Academic text (2010)

  • A postmortem examination found 20 separate marks of injury on the body, including 11 incised or cutting wounds, of which nine were individual stabs.

    Blog text (4)

  • Complete postmortem examinations were performed, and sections of lung were collected for bacterial and mycoplasma culture.

    Academic text (2012)

  • Most patients are asymptomatic and are discovered incidentally during cardiac surgery for an unrelated condition or at postmortem examination.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Additionally, 3 pigs with catarrhal enteritis were euthanized; postmortem examination at the regional laboratory confirmed coronavirus infection in all 3 animals.

    Academic text (2015)

  • After the accident, a thorough postmortem examination was necessary to understand the circumstances surrounding the death.

Synonyms

autopsy
vspostmortem examination
  • Specialized
421 5.3

A check of a dead body to find the cause of death

uses a multiword phrase instead of this single-word term
postmortem
vspostmortem examination
  • NSFW
20 6.8

A medical examination of a dead body to find the cause of death

is the same formal phrase used in the key entry
post-mortem
vspostmortem examination
  • Specialized
3 5.8

A medical examination of a dead body to find how the person died

is the same procedure but presented without hyphenation
necropsy
vspostmortem examination
  • Specialized
2 9.9

A careful cutting open and check of a dead animal to find cause of death

applies broadly to any dead body, not mainly to animals
post-mortem examination
vspostmortem examination
  • Specialized
4.8

Cutting open a dead body to find the cause of death

is the same procedure but written without a hyphen
PM
vspostmortem examination
  • Specialized
8.0

An examination of a dead body to find the cause of death

is the full multiword expression rather than an abbreviation

How Thorough

postmortem examination
  • NSFW
2 5.8
external
3 4.2

Surface Forms

postmortem examination singular
postmortem examinations plural

Morphology

postmortem + examination

The phrase combines 'postmortem' (after death) with 'examination' (detailed inspection), so a learner who knows both words can directly infer it means an inspection carried out after death to determine causes or changes. The composition is literal and follows a common post- + noun pattern found across languages, making the meaning transparent.

Etymology

Postmortem examination comes from the old parts post and mortem, meaning 'after' and 'death'. Doctors examine a dead body to find the cause, so today it means a close check of a body after death to discover why someone died.