anatomy
/əˈnætəmi/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈnætəmi/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈna-tə-mē/ (ame, mw)
anatomy — noun
1. the area of science that looks at how the bodies of people, animals, and plants
the area of science that looks at how the bodies of people, animals, and plants are built, including the names, positions, and shapes of their parts.
Aya started anatomy in her first year of medical school.
study subject: study anatomy
The class used a plastic skeleton to learn basic anatomy.
collocation: basic anatomy
Professor Chen teaches anatomy to first-year students every Tuesday morning.
Good anatomy helps artists draw hands, faces, and shoulders more accurately.
- morphology
more technical; used for the study of form and structure in biology
- anatomical science
formal phrase used in academic writing, not the usual everyday term
文法句型
study anatomy
teach anatomy
anatomy class
用法筆記
Usually uncountable when naming the subject itself: you study or teach anatomy. Distinguish from sense 2, which names the structure of a body or organ rather than the field of study.
常見錯誤
2. the way a living thing, or one of its parts, is put together inside and outside.
the way a living thing, or one of its parts, is put together inside and outside.
Whale anatomy lets the animal dive deep and stay underwater.
compound subject: whale anatomy
The book explains the anatomy of a leaf with clear pictures.
anatomy of + plant part
Doctors studied knee anatomy before planning Leo's second operation.
Bird anatomy shows why some wings are built for long flights.
文法句型
the anatomy of + body part
the anatomy of + animal/plant
用法筆記
Often followed by 'of' plus a living thing or organ, as in 'the anatomy of the eye'. Distinguish from sense 1: if you mean the science or school subject, use sense 1 instead.
常見錯誤
3. someone's physical body, mentioned in a joking or slightly rude way.
someone's physical body, mentioned in a joking or slightly rude way.
After six hours on the bus, my anatomy needed a bed.
possessive pattern: my anatomy
The hard wooden bench was not kind to Ben's anatomy.
phrase: kind to sb's anatomy
One slip on the ice, and Nina's anatomy hit the ground.
That tiny airline seat leaves no room for Karl's anatomy.
文法句型
my anatomy
sb's anatomy
用法筆記
Mostly singular and often used with a possessive, such as 'my anatomy' or 'Karl's anatomy'. Common in humorous complaints about seats, falls, or pain; for neutral or medical contexts, say 'body' instead.
常見錯誤
4. a careful breaking-down of a subject, event, or system so that its parts and cau
a careful breaking-down of a subject, event, or system so that its parts and causes can be examined clearly.
The article offers an anatomy of the city's housing crisis.
anatomy of + problem
Her book gives a calm anatomy of fear after war.
formal noun phrase
The report is an anatomy of how the bank failed.
In class, we read an anatomy of power in modern politics.
- analysis
the most general near-synonym and less literary
- breakdown
more direct and often used in everyday or business English
- examination
broader; does not always suggest separating something into parts
- study
wider in meaning and often less focused on causes
- synthesis
puts parts together into a whole instead of separating them
文法句型
an anatomy of + issue
an anatomy of how + clause
用法筆記
Usually followed by 'of' plus a problem, event, system, or abstract idea. More formal than 'analysis', and often used for books, essays, or reports that separate a subject into parts.