vivisect

verb

viv·​i·​sect ˈvi-və-ˌsekt How to pronounce vivisect (audio)
vivisected; vivisecting; vivisects

transitive verb

: to perform vivisection on : subject to vivisection

intransitive verb

: to practice vivisection
vivisector
ˈvi-və-ˌsek-tər How to pronounce vivisect (audio)
noun

Examples of vivisect in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Compare these to artists like Marlene Dumas or Tracey Emin, who seem to vivisect their own souls and the souls of all women in beautifully complex paintings, or Carroll Dunham’s coital pictures of couples in flagrante delicto or warring with one another. — Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2021 Its members seek to avenge the natural world, to kill scientists who vivisect animals or breed germs for warfare. — Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2021

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from vivisection

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of vivisect was in 1864

Rhymes for vivisect

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vivisect
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Cite this Entry

“Vivisect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vivisect. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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