dismember: Meaning and Definition of

dis•mem•ber

Pronunciation: (dis-mem'bur), [key]
— v.t.
  1. to deprive of limbs; divide limb from limb: The ogre dismembered his victims before he ate them.
  2. to divide into parts; cut to pieces; mutilate.
  3. 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.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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