Meanings
plural apophyses
- anatomyA natural outgrowth, swelling or enlargement, usually of an organism; a protuberance on a bone.
In the male each palpal tibia shows a long narrow apophysis on the outerside.
1913, A. Randell Jackson, “On the British Spiders of the Genus Microneta”, in Transactions of the Natural History Society of Northumberland, page 1281 more example
Every bone in the real duck had its representative in the automaton, and its wings were anatomically exact. Every cavity, apophysis, and curvature was imitated, and each bone executed its proper movements.
1836, E. A. Poe, Maelzel's Chess-Player - biologyThe external part of a cone scale.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰuH-“to exist, to grow”
- Ancient Greekἀπόφυσις“offshoot”
- Englishapophysis
From Ancient Greek ἀπόφυσις (apóphusis, “offshoot”), from ἀπό (apó) + φύω (phúō, “to bring forth”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to exist, to grow”). Equivalent to apo- + -physis.
More words from Ancient Greek, Proto-Indo-European
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀπόφυσις
- ἀπόφυσις (apóphusis)outgrowth
Arabic زَائِدَة جِدَارِيَّة
- زَائِدَة جِدَارِيَّةoutgrowth
Catalan apòfisi
- apòfisioutgrowth
Czech nárost, apofýza
- nárostoutgrowth
- apofýzaoutgrowth
Finnish apofyysi, luu-uloke
- apofyysioutgrowth
- luu-ulokeoutgrowth
- apofyysipart of a cone
- apofyysibranch
French apophyse
- apophyseoutgrowth
German Fortsatz, Knochenfortsatz
- Fortsatzoutgrowth
- Knochenfortsatzoutgrowth
Greek απόφυση, απόφυση
- απόφυση (apófysi)outgrowth
- απόφυση (apófysi)branch
Italian apofisi, apofisi
- apofisioutgrowth
- apofisibranch
Latin apophysis
- apophysisoutgrowth
Polish apofiza, apofiza
- apofizapart of a cone
- apofizabranch
Portuguese apófise, apófise
- apófiseoutgrowth
- apófisebranch
Russian апо́физ, апофи́за
- апо́физ (apófiz)outgrowth
- апофи́за (apofíza)branch
Spanish apófisis
- apófisisoutgrowth
Swedish apofys, apofys
- apofysoutgrowth
- apofyspart of a cone
- apofysbranch
Cite this entry
apophysis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apophysis
“apophysis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apophysis. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “apophysis,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apophysis.
Source: apophysis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.