What does "anatomy" mean?
Anatomy: The science which treats of the structure of organic bodies; anatomical structure or organization. Let the muscles be well inserted and bound together, according to the knowledge of them which is given us by anatomy. Dryden. Note: "Animal anatomy" is sometimes called zomy; "vegetable anatomy," phytotomy; "human anatomy," anthropotomy. Comparative anatomy compares the structure of different kinds and classes of animals.
Additional senses
- 2.A treatise or book on anatomy.
- 3.The act of dividing anything, corporeal or intellectual, for the purpose of examining its parts; analysis; as, the anatomy of a discourse.
- 4.A skeleton; anything anatomized or dissected, or which has the appearance of being so. The anatomy of a little child, representing all parts thereof, is accounted a greater rarity than the skeleton of a man in full stature. Fuller. They brought one Pinch, a hungry, lean-faced villain, A mere anatomy. Shak.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00