dəs, (ˈ)dis+ transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English dismembren, from Old French desmembrer, from des- dis- (I) + membre member, limb — more at member
1.
a. : to cut or tear off or disjoin the limbs, members, or parts of
found a dismembered corpse in the rubbish heap
piece by piece Mexico was being dismembered — R.A.Billington
b. : to tear into pieces : take apart roughly or divide (a whole) into sections or separate units
dismembered an old apple barrel — P.K.Thomajan
also : mangle , mutilate
amounts to dismembering the facts in order to make them fit a rather farfetched preconception — J.O.Nelson
c. : dismantle
dismembered their wagons, loaded them upon rafts — American Guide Series: Oregon
2. obsolete : lop , sever
3. archaic : to deprive of membership
4. : to make (a tributary of a river) into an independent stream by a change of geologic conditions (as the submergence of the lower part of a valley)