Meanings
nounacantholysis (usually uncountable, plural acantholyses)
plural acantholyses
- uncountableusuallymedicineThe loss of intercellular connections, resulting in loss of cohesion between keratinocytes, seen in diseases such as pemphigus vulgaris.
Origin
From acanth- (“spine”) + -lysis (“destruction”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Portuguese acantólise
- acantóliseloss of intercellular connections
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with acantholysis
hydrolysiselectrolysisproteolysispyrolysisglycolysishemolysisrhabdomyolysisautolysisosteolysiscytolysisglycogenolysisacetolysisachromatolysisacidolysisadipolysisalcoholysisangiolysisbacteriolysiscardiolysischemolysischromatolysiscollagenolysisenterolysiserythrolysis
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
acantholysis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acantholysis
MLA
“acantholysis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acantholysis. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “acantholysis,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acantholysis.
Source: acantholysis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.