autocatalyst

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noun

Any catalyst that participates in autocatalysis.

OriginEnglish catalyst ← Ancient Greek αὐτο- (auto-) ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounautocatalyst (plural autocatalysts)

plural autocatalysts

  1. Any catalyst that participates in autocatalysis.
  2. The catalyst in the catalytic converter of a motor car.

Origin

  1. Proto-Hellenic*autós
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew
  3. Ancient Greekαὖ (aû)
  4. Ancient Greekτόν (tón)
  5. Ancient Greekαὐτός (autós)
  6. Ancient Greekαὐτο- (auto-)
  7. Englishauto-
  8. Englishcatalyst
  9. Englishautocatalyst

From auto- + catalyst.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

autocatalyst. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autocatalyst

MLA

“autocatalyst.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autocatalyst. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “autocatalyst,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autocatalyst.

Source: autocatalyst on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.