dismember

Verb
Synonyms: take apartdiscerp

WordNet 3.0

Verb (2)

  1. separate the limbs from the body“the tiger dismembered the tourist”
  2. divide into pieces“our department was dismembered when our funding dried up”“The Empire was discerped after the war”Synonyms: take apartdiscerp
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Dismember \Dis*mem"ber\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dismembered; p. pr. & vb. n. Dismembering.] [OF. desmembrer, F. d['e]membrer; pref. des- (L. dis) + OF. & F. membre limb. See Member.]

1.To tear limb from limb; to dilacerate; to disjoin member from member; to tear or cut in pieces; to break up. [1913 Webster]

Fowls obscene dismembered his remains.— Pope.[1913 Webster]
A society lacerated and dismembered.— Gladstone.[1913 Webster]
By whose hands the blow should be struck which would dismember that once mighty empire.— Buckle.[1913 Webster]

2.To deprive of membership. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

They were dismembered by vote of the house.— R. North.

Syn: To disjoint; dislocate; dilacerate; mutilate; divide; sever. [1913 Webster]

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