Meaning & use

eviscerate

verb·Advanced

To remove the internal organs from the body of a person or animal.

See it in a sentence

The pathologist eviscerated the specimen carefully to examine each organ during the autopsy.

Ancient embalmers would eviscerate a body before preserving it as a mummy.

A note on using this word

Eviscerate is a clinical, formal term; outside science or medicine it is far more often used figuratively, as in eviscerate an argument.

Words with a similar meaning

disembowelgut

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

To deprive something of its essential force, substance, or effectiveness, often through harsh criticism or drastic cuts.

The critic's review eviscerated the film's plot, calling it lazy and incoherent.

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