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Glite Dictionary
necropsy

necropsy

2 9.9
A careful cutting open and check of a dead animal to find cause of death
  • noun
  • /ˈnɛkrɒpsi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : necropsia
  • After the cow died unexpectedly, the farmer requested a necropsy to determine if disease was the cause.
  • perform necropsy
  • necropsy findings
  • results of the necropsy

I mean, could not stop eating it to the point where it's like the necropsy on the bear.

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Examples

  • The sparrow that underwent necropsy showed trace virus only in the lungs (Table 3).

    Academic text (2014)

  • Their evaluation was based on medical records, death certificates, and necropsy reports, as appropriate.

    Academic text (1992)

  • Causes of death were based on clinical and necropsy evidence.

    Academic text (1995)

  • We sent for death certificates and, when available, the results of the necropsy.

    Academic text (1995)

  • In one patient, jaundice and fever were present at the time of death, and necropsy showed bile-duct kinking.

    Academic text (1992)

  • The diagnoses of stroke or myocardial infarction could also be made at necropsy.

    Academic text (1992)

  • Studies comparing diagnoses to postmortem necropsy results indicate that 40% to 60% of diagnoses listed in a patient's chart are incorrect.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Histological confirmation of malignant disease was obtained by fine-needle biopsy or at necropsy in 23 patients (20%).

    Academic text (1992)

  • The veterinarian performed a necropsy on the dog to find out what caused its sudden death.

  • The wildlife biologist decided to conduct a necropsy on the raccoon to investigate the effects of a possible poisoning.

Synonyms

autopsy
vsnecropsy
  • Specialized
421 5.3

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

is used especially for animals in veterinary contexts rather than general cases
postmortem
vsnecropsy
  • NSFW
20 6.8

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

is applied especially in animal contexts rather than human medicine
dissection
vsnecropsy
  • Specialized
17 6.3

Cutting an animal or plant open to study its inside parts

is specifically about examining dead animals to find cause of death
post-mortem
vsnecropsy
  • Specialized
3 5.8

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

focuses more on animals than on human examinations
postmortem examination
vsnecropsy
  • NSFW
2 5.8

A medical check that cuts open a dead body to find the cause of death

is typically used for animal investigations rather than human ones
post-mortem examination
vsnecropsy
  • Specialized
4.8

Cutting open a dead body to find the cause of death

is mainly used for animals rather than human cases
PM
vsnecropsy
  • Specialized
8.0

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

is the term more often used when the subject is an animal

Surface Forms

necropsy singular
necropsies plural

Morphology

necropsy = necro + opsy

Although the word is built from classical medical combining forms meaning roughly 'dead body' and 'view/examination', these parts are not recognizable English base words for an average B1 learner, so the meaning is not readily inferable.

Etymology

Necropsy comes from Greek parts nekros meaning 'dead' and opsis meaning 'to see', so it literally means 'to look at the dead'. It is like an autopsy, which means 'to see for yourself', but necropsy is usually used for animals, so it is an examination of a dead animal to find why it died.