autolysis

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ɔːˈtɒlɪsɪs/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(ô tol′ə sis)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
au•tol•y•sis  (ô tol′ə sis),USA pronunciation n. [Biochem.]
  1. Biochemistrythe breakdown of plant or animal tissue by the action of enzymes contained in the tissue affected; self-digestion.
  • auto-1 + -lysis 1900–05
au•to•lyt•ic  (ôt′l it′ik),USA pronunciation adj. 
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
autolysis /ɔːˈtɒlɪsɪs/ n
  1. the destruction of cells and tissues of an organism by enzymes produced by the cells themselves
Etymology: 20th Century: via German from Greek autos self + lusis loosening, releaseautolytic /ˌɔːtəˈlɪtɪk/ adj
'autolysis' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
autolysate - autolysin - autolyze - cathepsin

Forum discussions with the word(s) "autolysis" in the title:


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