dismember

dismember
    v 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"
       [syn: {dismember}, {take apart}, {discerp}]
    

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.
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            A society lacerated and dismembered.  --Gladstone.
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            By whose hands the blow should be struck which would
            dismember that once mighty empire.    --Buckle.
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   2. To deprive of membership. [Obs.]
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            They were dismembered by vote of the house. --R.
                                                  North.

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

34 Moby Thesaurus words for "dismember":
      cripple, defoliate, denude, disassemble, dismantle,
      draw and quarter, flay, grill, impale, keelhaul, lacerate, maim,
      mangle, mayhem, mutilate, part, peel, pick to pieces, picket,
      pull apart, rack, separate, sever, shred, skin, strip, sunder,
      take apart, take down, tar and feather, tear apart, tear to pieces,
      tear to tatters, torture