Dismember
/dɪsˈmɛm.bər/noun
To separate the limbs from the body.
Did you know?In medieval times, dismemberment was often used as a form of execution, believed to prevent the deceased from returning as a vengeful spirit.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*me(m)ber-
“part or limb”
Latin
Latin
membra
“limbs or body parts”
Old French
Old French
desmembrer
“to take apart the limbs”
Middle English
Middle English
dismembren
“to separate limbs from the body”
Modern English
English
dismember
“to sever limbs or body parts from a body”