-kshən noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably from French, from Middle French, from Latin dissectus + Middle French -ion
1. : the act or process of dissecting or the state of being dissected
sharpened the big carving knife, beamed at the turkey, and pretended to be absorbed in its dissection — Anne Green
2.
a. : a detailed critical analysis of something (as of a type represented in a novel)
although there were novels on a great variety of themes, the two characters most favored for dissection were American businessmen or young ladies uncertain of their identity — Harrison Hayford
b.
(1) : the surgical removal along the natural lines of cleavage of tissues which are or might become diseased — compare block dissection
(2) : the digital separation of tissues (as in heart-valve operations) — compare finger fracture
c. : the process of erosion whereby a land surface is cut by gullies, ravines, canyons, or other kinds of valleys
3.
a. : something (as a part or the whole of an animal or plant) that has been dissected
b. : an anatomical specimen prepared in this way