AUTOPSY

au·top·sy   (ô'tŏp'sē, ô'təp-)    n.   pl. au·top·sies Examination of a cadaver to determine or confirm the cause of death. Also called necropsy, postmortem, postmortem examination. A critical assessment or examination after the fact: a post-election campaign autopsy. tr.v.   au·top·sied, au·top·sying, au·top·sies To subject to an autopsy. [Greek autopsiā, a seeing for oneself : auto-, auto- + opsis, sight; see okw- in Indo-European roots.] au·top'sic, au·top'si·cal adj., au'top'sist n.

autopsy 

Main Entry: au·top·sy
Pronunciation: 'o-"täp-sE, -t&p-
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -sies
: an examination of a body after death usually involving dissection esp. to determine the cause of death called also post mortem post mortem examination —autopsy transitive verb

Main Entry: ¹au·top·sy
Pronunciation: 'o-"täp-sE, 'ot-&p-
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -sies
: an examination of the body after death usually with such dissection as will expose the vital organs for determining the cause of death or the character and extent of changes produced by disease calledalso necropsy, postmortem, postmortem examination

autopsy au·top·sy (ô'tŏp'sē, ô'təp-)
n.
An examination of a cadaver in order to determine the cause of death or to study pathologic changes. Also called necropsy, postmortem, postmortem examination.