necropsy

Word family

• necropsies
  plural nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three terms refer to the medical examination of a dead body to determine the cause of death, but their usage differs by subject and register. 'Necropsy' is the technical veterinary term used almost exclusively for non-human animals — a pathologist performs a necropsy on a dolphin, a dog, or a bird. 'Autopsy' is the standard term for human postmortem examination; it comes from Greek roots meaning 'to see for oneself' and is widely used in hospitals, forensic medicine, and legal contexts. 'Postmortem examination' (or simply 'postmortem') is a broader, more neutral phrase that works for both humans and animals and can also refer informally to an after-the-fact analysis of any event. For example, a wildlife centre might announce: 'A necropsy of the injured fox was performed,' while a hospital would say: 'An autopsy was performed on the deceased patient.'

Common collocations

Etymology

The word 'necropsy' was formed in the mid-1800s from two Greek roots: 'nekros' (νεκρός), meaning 'dead body', and 'opsis' (ὄψις), meaning 'seeing' or 'viewing'. It was modelled on the earlier word 'autopsy' (Greek 'autos' = self + 'opsis' = seeing), but while an autopsy literally means 'seeing for oneself', a necropsy means 'seeing the dead'. The term was introduced into medical English to give veterinarians a precise word for animal postmortem examinations, distinguishing them from human autopsies.