To pull to pieces; to tear apart or break something into fragments.
From dis- (prefix meaning 'apart' or 'reverse') + piece (from Old French piece, from Latin petia). The verb means to reduce something to pieces.
Medieval texts describe how armies would dispiece fortifications in siege warfare—literally dismantling walls piece by piece—but the word fell out of use as 'dismantle' and 'demolish' became standard.
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