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anatomy

Syllabification: (a·nat·o·my)
Pronunciation: /əˈnatəmē/

(abbreviation: anat.)
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Definition of anatomy

noun (plural anatomies)

  • 1the branch of science concerned with the bodily structure of humans, animals, and other living organisms, especially as revealed by dissection and the separation of parts.
  • the bodily structure of an organism:descriptions of the cat’s anatomy and behavior
  • informal humorous a person’s body:he left dusty handprints on his lady customers' anatomies
  • 2a study of the structure or internal workings of something:Machiavelli’s anatomy of the art of war

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French anatomie or late Latin anatomia, from Greek, from ana- 'up' + tomia 'cutting' (from temnein 'to cut')

anatomy in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of anatomy in the British & World English dictionary

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