Anatomizes

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To break down a structure, whether biological or conceptual, into its essential parts for detailed examination or analysis
2. To methodically examine and dissect physical entities or abstract concepts into their constituent elements for better understanding
3. To carefully separate something into its individual components to study their relationships and meanings

Etymology: "Anatomizes" is the third-person singular present form of "anatomize." The verb goes back to a Greek term for cutting open a body. "Anatomē" combined "ana-," meaning "up," with "temnein," meaning "to cut," so its literal sense was something like cutting up. English took up the verb in Late Middle English as "anatomisen" or "anatomien," meaning to dissect a body in order to investigate it. It came through Middle French "anatomiser" or Medieval Latin "anatomizare." The original sense of cutting a body apart for study is the root of the modern figurative use, which applies the same method to any structure or idea.

Synonyms: dissects, examines, analyzes, studies, inspects

Antonyms: synthesizes, unifies, combines, aggregates, merges