autolysis

noun

au·​tol·​y·​sis ȯ-ˈtä-lə-səs How to pronounce autolysis (audio)
: breakdown of all or part of a cell or tissue by self-produced enzymes
autolytic
ˌȯ-tə-ˈli-tik How to pronounce autolysis (audio)
adjective

Examples of autolysis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Per Liger-Belair, there's a common misconception, even among champagne enthusiasts, that the wine should not age beyond this point, but this yeast autolysis is a slow process, so higher-quality champagnes are allowed to age on lees even longer. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 28 July 2023 Cells deprived of oxygen start digesting themselves in a process called autolysis. — Jennifer Debruyn, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Autolyse, from auto- auto- + -lyse -lysis

Note: The term was apparently introduced by the German physician and biochemist Martin Johann Jacoby (1872-1941) in "Ueber die fermentative Eiweisspaltung und Ammoniakbildung in der Leber," Hoppe-Seyler's Zeitschrift für physiologische Chemie, 30. Band (1900), p. 159 passim.

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of autolysis was in 1900

Rhymes for autolysis

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Cite this Entry

“Autolysis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autolysis. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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Medical Definition

autolysis

noun
au·​tol·​y·​sis -ə-səs How to pronounce autolysis (audio)
plural autolyses -ə-ˌsēz How to pronounce autolysis (audio)
: breakdown of all or part of a cell or tissue by self-produced enzymes

called also self-digestion

autolytic
ˌȯt-ᵊl-ˈit-ik How to pronounce autolysis (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on autolysis

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about autolysis

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