autotomies
|au-tot-o-mies|
🇺🇸
/ɔːˈtɑːtəmiːz/
🇬🇧
/ɔːˈtɒtəmiːz/
(autotomy)
self-cutting off
Etymology
'autotomy' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'autotomia', where 'auto-' meant 'self' and the element derived from 'temnein'/'tome' meant 'to cut'.
'autotomia' passed into Late Latin and New Latin usage as 'autotomia' for a technical term, and the word was borrowed into English in the 19th century as 'autotomy'.
Initially it meant 'self-cutting' in a general sense; over time it became specialized to mean the deliberate shedding or self-amputation of a body part by an animal (often as an anti-predator strategy).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'autotomy' — the act by which an animal deliberately sheds or detaches a part of its body (such as a tail or limb), typically to escape a predator.
Many lizards and some crabs use autotomies to escape predators.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/29 07:54