- to remove the limbs or members of
- to cut to pieces
- to divide or partition (something, such as an empire)
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
dis•mem•ber /dɪsˈmɛmbɚ/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to remove limbs of;
divide limb from limb:dismembered corpses. - to divide into parts;
cut up:He wants to dismember the company.
dis•mem•ber
(dis mem′bər),USA pronunciation v.t.
dis•mem′ber•er, n.
dis•mem′ber•ment,
n.
- to deprive of limbs;
divide limb from limb:The ogre dismembered his victims before he ate them. - to divide into parts;
cut to pieces;
mutilate. - to reduce, reorganize, or discontinue the services or parts of (a company, government agency, etc.):Our business was dismembered by the conglomerate that bought it.
- Anglo-French, Old French desmembrer, equivalent. to des- dis-1 + -membrer, verb, verbal derivative of membre member
- Middle English dismembren 1250–1300
dis•mem′ber•ment,
n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
dismember /dɪsˈmɛmbə/ vb (transitive)
'dismember' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):