necropsy

[ nek-rop-see ]

noun

, plural nec·rop·sies.

1. the examination of a body after death; autopsy.

verb (used with object)

, nec·rop·sied, nec·rop·sy·ing.

1. to perform a necropsy on.

necropsy

/ nɛˈkrɒskəpɪ; ˈnɛkrɒpsɪ /

noun

1. another name for autopsy

Word History and Origins

Origin of necropsy¹

1855–60; necr- + -opsy ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of necropsy¹

C19: from Greek nekros dead body + opsis sight

Example Sentences

Officials performed a necropsy, an autopsy for animals, and tissue samples were taken to be analysed.

From BBC

The lion weighed nearly 53 pounds and had nothing in her stomach during the attack, according to the necropsy results released from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife last week.

From Los Angeles Times

"We've managed to retrieve his remains and put him in a cooled area, in preparation for a necropsy by the veterinary institute," he told AFP news agency.

From BBC

Barbie Halaska, a necropsy specialist with the Marine Mammal Center, showed visitors the milk-rich tissue enveloping the single six-inch incisions she had made in the chests of six of the dead sea lions that had died at the Morro Bay center.

From Los Angeles Times

The feeding behavior is “an indication that these guys probably were hungry, and they’re looking for other food sources,” he said, citing his colleagues’ necropsy research on stranded whales that showed a large number were malnourished.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• autopsy
• dissection