vivisectionist
|viv-i-sec-tion-ist|
/ˌvɪvəˈsɛkʃənɪst/
cutting into the living (practitioner/supporter)
Etymology
'vivisectionist' originates from the noun 'vivisection' plus the agent suffix '-ist'; 'vivisection' ultimately comes from Latin elements 'vivus' (meaning 'alive') and 'sectio' (meaning 'a cutting').
'vivisection' appeared in modern European languages (French and English) in the 19th century to describe cutting into living beings for experimental purposes; English formed 'vivisectionist' by adding the suffix '-ist' to refer to a practitioner or supporter.
Initially it referred specifically to the act of cutting into a living organism; over time the term broadened to denote a person who performs or advocates such experiments ('vivisectionist').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who performs vivisections — surgical operations or invasive experiments performed on living animals for research or demonstration.
The vivisectionist argued that such procedures were essential for medical discoveries.
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Noun 2
a person who supports or advocates the practice of vivisection (i.e., endorses animal experimentation involving invasive procedures).
Because she defended invasive animal testing, some critics called her a vivisectionist.
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Last updated: 2025/11/28 03:10