cadaver

[ kuh-dav-er ]

noun

1. a dead body, especially a human body to be dissected; corpse.

cadaver

/ kəˈdeɪvə; -ˈdɑːv- /

noun

1. med a corpse

Derived Forms

• caˈdaveric, adjective

Other Words From

• ca·daver·ic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cadaver¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin cadāver dead body, corpse; akin to cadere to fall, perish ( decay, chance )

Word History and Origins

Origin of cadaver¹

C16: from Latin, from cadere to fall

Synonym Study

See body.

Example Sentences

Working with cadavers in an anatomy lab is often a humbling and monumental moment in a doctor’s career.

From Salon

Investigators with the department’s Robbery-Homicide Unit were called to the home, as well as forensic specialists and cadaver dogs to search the property.

From Los Angeles Times

Authorities are conducting follow-up searches at the river location for additional bones with the help of cadaver dogs.

From Los Angeles Times

A cadaver dog indicated the presence of human remains in the Perez house.

From Los Angeles Times

The search could use machinery or cadaver dogs, he said, but “the only way possible at times is just with human hands.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• carcass
• corpse
• skeleton

More About Cadaver

What is a cadaver?

A cadaver is a dead body, especially a dead human body.

The word cadaver is sometimes used interchangeably with the word corpse, but cadaver is especially used in a scientific context to refer to a body that is the subject of scientific study or medical use, such as one that will be dissected.

It’s sometimes used as a modifier (adjective) in phrases that involve cadavers. For example, cadaver tissue is tissue that has been harvested from a donor body. A cadaver dog is a dog that has been specially trained to track the scent of dead bodies in searches for missing persons.

Example: The cadavers are carefully preserved before they are prepared for dissection.

Where does cadaver come from?

The first records of the word cadaver come from the 1300s. It comes from the Latin cadāver, meaning “corpse,” from the Latin verb cadere, meaning “to perish.”

One adjective form of cadaver is cadaverous, but it’s not used in a technical way. Cadaverous is used to describe a person who looks as if they were dead, such as someone who looks especially thin, pale, or bony. It’s typically used in fiction stories—it wouldn’t be nice to call a real person cadaverous.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to cadaver?

• cadaverous (adjective)
• cadaveric (adjective)
• cadaverlike (adjective)

What are some synonyms for cadaver?

• remains
• corpse
• dead body

What are some words that share a root or word element with cadaver? 

 

• cadaverine

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing cadaver?

 

• dead
• body
• deceased
• dissect
• study
• dog
• organ
• tissue
• bone
• morgue
• preserve
• forensic medicine

How is cadaver used in real life?

Cadaver is typically used in medical and forensic contexts.

The ‘multilayer’ theory of Denonvilliers’ fascia: anatomical dissection of cadavers with the aim to improve neurovascular bundle preservation during rectal mobilization@SamTou22 Editor's Choice for February https://t.co/dIXpUye4Cl pic.twitter.com/7EkCWYHw0N

— Colorectal Disease (@ColorectalDis) February 5, 2020

They may look very real, but these are actually synthetic cadavers used to train students in this #UTSA anatomy class. 🔬👩‍⚕️🎓 pic.twitter.com/jaXgwhlVFE

— UTSA (@UTSA) February 27, 2017

Surgery went very well. They were able to remove the tumor and put in the cadaver bone. 1 step closer to recovery. pic.twitter.com/0Tg09IHRXk

— Reese LaFlare (@ReeseBrown_) June 22, 2016

 

Try using cadaver!

Which of the following terms is NOT a synonym of cadaver?

A. corpse
B. remains
C. limb
D. dead body