: reflex separation of a part (such as an appendage) from the body : division of the body into two or more pieces

Examples of autotomy 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.
Without the injection, autotomy was seen mostly in animals that had arms that were clamped closest to the autotomy plane. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 14 Sep. 2024 Two exclusive features only found in the autotomy plane allow this structure to break. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 14 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French autotomie, from auto- auto- + -tomie -tomy

Note: The term was introduced by the Belgian physiologist Léon Fredericq (1851-1935) in "Sur l'autotomie ou mutilation par voie réflexe comme moyen de défense chez les animaux," Archives de zoologie expérimentale et générale, deuxième série, tome premier (1883), pp. 413-26.

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of autotomy was in 1887

Cite this Entry

“Autotomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autotomy. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Medical Definition

autotomy

noun
plural autotomies
: reflex separation of a part from the body especially in an invertebrate

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