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Autopsy - Meaning, Definition & English Examples

An autopsy is a medical examination of a body after death to determine the cause of death or study disease. It is performed by a pathologist.

autopsy

/ˈɔˌtɑpsi/ /ˈɔːtɒpsi/

Definition:

A medical examination of a dead body to determine the cause of death.

Synonyms:

postmortem, necropsy, examination

Part of Speech:

noun

Antonyms:

birth, life

Common Collocations:

perform an autopsy, autopsy report, forensic autopsy, autopsy results, conduct an autopsy

Derivatives:

autopsied, autopsying

Usage Tips:

Use "autopsy" to refer specifically to postmortem medical examinations; avoid casual usage for non-medical contexts.

Common Phrases:

under the knife, cut open, lay bare

Etymology:

From Greek "autopsia," meaning "seeing with one's own eyes," via Late Latin "autopsia."

Examples:

  • 1. The doctor performed an autopsy to find the cause of death.
  • 2. The autopsy revealed unexpected findings about the patient's condition.
  • 3. Police ordered an autopsy after the suspicious death was reported.
  • 4. The family waited anxiously for the autopsy results.

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