MEANING
1. To examine the parts of something closely and separately.
2. To cut biological material into parts to examine its structure.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- dissect an argument
- dissect a response
On the page
The reviewer dissected the argument premise by premise.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- dissect
- Past tense
- dissected
- Past participle
- dissected
- Present participle
- dissecting
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- dissect
- Present continuous
- am/is/are dissecting
- Present perfect
- have/has dissected
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been dissecting
- Past
- dissected
- Past continuous
- was/were dissecting
- Past perfect
- had dissected
- Past perfect continuous
- had been dissecting
- Future
- will dissect
- Future continuous
- will be dissecting
- Future perfect
- will have dissected
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been dissecting
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: analysis / argumentation / evidence. Forms: dissect; dissects; dissected; dissected; dissecting Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: argumentation, evidence, inference. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: dissects.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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