The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002.
vivisection
(viv-uh-SEK-shuhn, VIV-uh-sek-shuhn) The cutting up or dissection of animals, including anesthetized live animals, in scientific research. Vivisection is also a general term for the use of animals as subjects in laboratory experiments, especially in the development of new medical techniques and drugs.