autopepsia
|au-to-pep-si-a|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtoʊˈpɛpsiə/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəʊˈpɛpsiə/
self-digestion
Etymology
'autopepsia' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'autos' and 'pepsis', where 'autos' meant 'self' and 'pepsis' meant 'digestion'.
'autopepsia' was formed in New Latin/medical usage from Greek roots and entered English medical literature in the 18th–19th century as a technical term for self-digestion.
Initially it referred generally to 'self-digestion'; over time the meaning has stayed similar but usage has become specialized to pathological or physiological contexts describing tissue autodigestion.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
self-digestion; the process by which a living tissue or organ is digested by its own enzymes (autodigestion, often used in pathological contexts).
The pathologist described extensive autopepsia in the necrotic tissue.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/27 14:36