Dissectable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Divisible into sections suitable for analysis or study
2. Able to be separated into components for the sake of thorough investigation or understanding
3. Capable of being cut into parts to allow detailed study or observation

Etymology: "Dissectable" is a plain formation: the verb "dissect" with the suffix "-able," meaning capable of being done. "Dissect" comes from Latin "dissecare," built from "dis-" (apart) and "secare" (to cut), so the verb literally means to cut apart. The "-able" ending, borrowed through French from Latin "-abilis," turns the verb into an adjective describing what can be cut apart in this way. The sense has stayed close to the literal one. Where "dissect" can mean to analyse something piece by piece as well as to cut it up physically, "dissectable" keeps the physical meaning in its definition: something that can be cut into parts so that its structure can be studied. A specimen on a table fits that picture exactly, and the word preserves the original Latin image of separating by cutting.

Synonyms: cuttable, analyzable