Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

resurrectionist

noun

/ˌrɛzəˈrɛkʃənɪst/

Definition

A resurrectionist is a person who illegally exhumed bodies from graves, typically for the purpose of selling them to medical schools for anatomical studies.

Examples

During the Victorian era, resurrectionists operated in secrecy to provide bodies for anatomy classes.
The infamous resurrectionist duo were caught red-handed while attempting to steal a freshly buried body.

Meaning

The term resurrectionist is often associated with the practice of body snatching, where individuals would dig up corpses to provide cadavers for scientific research or education, particularly in the 19th century when legal access to human bodies was restricted.