autoplastic
|au-to-plas-tic|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtoʊˈplæstɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəˈplæstɪk/
self-molding / self-change
Etymology
'autoplastic' originates from Greek elements, specifically 'auto-' meaning 'self' and 'plastic' from Greek 'plastikos' meaning 'fit for molding'.
'autoplastic' was formed in medical and psychological terminology by combining the Greek-derived prefix 'auto-' and the adjective 'plastic' (from Latin/Greek via New Latin usage) and entered English technical usage in the late 19th to early 20th century.
Initially it carried the sense of 'self-molding' or 'capable of being shaped by one's own forces'; over time it came to be used specifically in medicine for self-tissue reconstruction and in psychology for self-directed adaptive responses.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
describing an adaptive response in which an individual changes oneself (behavior, feelings, or body) rather than altering the external environment; in psychoanalytic/psychological contexts, pertaining to self-directed adaptation.
The therapist noted an autoplastic pattern: the patient adjusted his own habits instead of trying to change his living situation.
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Adjective 2
relating to surgical or medical procedures that use the patient's own tissues for reconstruction or grafting (autologous/autogenous use of tissue).
The surgeon chose an autoplastic reconstruction, using tissue from the patient's thigh for the repair.
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Last updated: 2025/11/27 21:36