necropsy
UK[ˈnek.rɒp.si]US[ˈnek.rɑːp.si]
n
a post-mortem examination performed on an animal; an autopsy of an animal.
Morpheme Breakdown
necro
opsy
necro
death
opsy
viewing
Etymology
the term 'necropsy' is a modern scientific formation, directly constructed from greek roots to describe a specific medical procedure. it combines 'nekros' (dead body) with 'opsis' (a sight or viewing), literally meaning 'a viewing of the dead'. this follows the same logical compounding pattern as the related term 'autopsy', which means 'seeing for oneself'. while 'autopsy' became the standard term for human post-mortem examination, 'necropsy' was adopted in veterinary and animal pathology to specify the examination of animal corpses, maintaining the original, literal sense of its constituent parts.
Analysis
Structure: necro (death) + opsy (viewing)
necro originates from greek 'nekros' meaning 'dead body, corpse'. opsy originates from greek 'opsis' meaning 'sight, view'.
Examples
the veterinarian performed a necropsy to determine the cause of the dog's sudden death.
the results of the necropsy revealed the presence of a toxic substance in the animal's liver.
wildlife pathologists conduct necropsies on beached whales to study disease and environmental impacts.