Affixes

A transect (Latin trans, across) is a straight line or thin section through an object or natural feature; to intersect (Latin inter‑, between) is to divide something by passing or lying across it. An insect (Latin in‑, into, hence ‘in parts’) is named from the threefold form of its body.

To dissect something is to cut it up in order to examine it closely (Latin dis‑, apart); a surgeon may resect or remove a small piece of tissue or part of an organ, literally ‘cut it back’. The verbs bisect (Latin bi‑, having two) and trisect (Latin tres, three) refer to dividing an object into parts.

A sect, a group having different beliefs from those of a larger group to which it belongs, derives instead from Latin secta, a following (from sequi, to follow); to vivisect (Latin vivus, living), to perform operations on live animals for scientific research, is formed from vivisection.