autopsy
AW-top-see
/ˈɔːtɒpsi/
A post-mortem examination to discover the cause of death or the extent of disease.
Specifically refers to human examination; 'necropsy' is the term for animals.
The story behind the word. Literally 'seeing for oneself'. In the early days of medicine, doctors relied on ancient texts; an autopsy was a revolutionary act where the physician looked with their own eyes to find the truth.
Word relationships
- post-mortem: Post-mortem is a more general Latin term meaning 'after death', while autopsy is the specific surgical procedure.
Word family
- autopsied (verb): Past tense of performing an autopsy.
Collocations
- perform an autopsy
- autopsy report
- request an autopsy
Example sentences
- "The autopsy revealed that the victim had died of natural causes rather than foul play." Official medical procedure.
- "The coroner ordered an immediate autopsy to determine the exact time of death." Legal requirement.
Memory hook
AUTO-PSY: You use your own 'eyes' (optic/opsy) to see the 'auto' (self/body). See for yourself.
When not to use
Avoid using in casual conversation about 'analyzing' a failure (e.g., 'a project autopsy') unless you want to sound very grim.
Fun facts
- The first recorded autopsy was performed on Julius Caesar in 44 BC; the physician determined that of his 23 stab wounds, only one was actually fatal.
Related words
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