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A "description" of something does not necessarily have to completely describe the thing. For example, one could describe a mouse as "small and grey", but this leaves out a lot of information. Someone who did not know what a mouse was would have a very incomplete picture.

Is there a word for a description which aims to capture something as completely as possible, by reducing it to its components?

I have a feeling there is a word for this which maybe ends in -onomy or -ology.

I don't think it's taxonomy because that refers to an overarching system of description/classification covering many different "things".

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  • @NVZ I am curious. Why do you put this as a comment and not an answer? – thomj1332 Jun 9 '17 at 14:30
  • @thomj1332 feel free to use my comments into an answer of your own. :) – NVZ Jun 9 '17 at 14:32
  • Perhaps morphology or physiology? – Steve Lovell Jun 9 '17 at 16:26
  • It is a complete description or a complete specification. – Drew Jun 9 '17 at 16:43
  • The non-count noun 'well-definedness' is given at The noun form of "well-defined". I wouldn't use 'well-definition' though. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 10 '17 at 1:38
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Consider (full) specification.

specification noun 1 An act of identifying something precisely or of stating a precise requirement. ‘give a full specification of the job advertised’ - ODO

For a more clinical analysis of the item, consider breakdown:

breakdown noun 3.1 An explanatory analysis, especially of statistics. ‘Under another new directive, all products containing any allergens must include details of their chemical breakdown.’ - ODO

For a more analogical term taken from the field of design, consider blueprint (definition 1.1).

Moving somewhat further afield, you might want to consider gene as the specification for a living thing.

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  • I like this but it has the implication of being prior to the existence of the thing specified. Analysis is similar but sounds like it comes after. I can't seem to think of something more neutral. – Steve Lovell Jun 9 '17 at 16:18
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    @SteveLovell A breakdown, perhaps? I've added it to my answer. – Lawrence Jun 9 '17 at 22:56
  • It's interesting that ODO gives ' ... identifying something precisely' but then seems to feel the need to add 'full'. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 10 '17 at 1:46
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    @EdwinAshworth Yes, umm, precisely. ODO sources their examples from their corpora. Admittedly, the examples retained were chosen by their editorial team. – Lawrence Jun 10 '17 at 8:45
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taxonomy (Dictionary.com) (per NVZ's comment)

from Biology: the science dealing with the description, identification, naming, and classification of organisms.

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  • that may be the word i was thinking of, but if so the meaning is not quite what i had in mind. thanks though ! – karen Jun 9 '17 at 14:39
  • Taxonomy is about classification, not describing. Even the complete Dictionary.com definition (not given here) expresses this. – Drew Jun 9 '17 at 16:42

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