Past tense of dissect; cut apart systematically for examination or analyzed in detail.
From Latin dissectus, past participle of dissecare 'cut apart,' from dis- 'apart' + secare 'to cut.' Entered English in the 17th century, initially for anatomical procedures, later extended to mean detailed analysis.
Dissection reveals the beautiful logic of scientific language - the same root 'sect' that gives us 'section' and 'bisect' shows how cutting and understanding have been linked in human thought for millennia. Every time we 'dissect' an argument, we're using an ancient metaphor.
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