From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdismemberdis‧mem‧ber /dɪsˈmembə $ -ər/ verb [transitive] 1 PIECEto cut a body into pieces or tear it apart2 PG formal to divide a country, area, or organization into smaller parts SYN break up —dismemberment noun [uncountable]→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
dismember• The Breton lady had been dismembered.• The reason for which body and soul unite follows from a deed -- the Titanic act of dismembering and killing Dionysos.• But they needed other aids, for their teeth and nails could not readily dismember anything larger than a rabbit.• His dismembered body was dumped near Hoover Dam.• The mirror traps Him, and demonic forces dismember Him and throw Him into a boiling cauldron.• Further macabre details of summary executions, including the use of dynamite to dismember prisoners, are expected to be released soon.• Mr. Corry might have to dismember the company more than he wants to.Origin dismember (1300-1400) Old French desmembrer, from membre “arm or leg” 