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.
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.