Meanings
nounautophagy (countable and uncountable, plural autophagies)
plural autophagies
- countableuncountablebiologyThe process of self-digestion by a cell through the action of enzymes originating within the same cell, and often a defensive or self-preservation measure.
Near-synonym: autocytolysis
Synonyms: autocytolysis
- countableuncountablebiologyA type of programmed cell death accomplished through self-digestion.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe process of self-digestion by a cell through the action of enzymes originating within the same cell, and often a defensive or self-preservation measure.
Similar
nounSelf-consumption; the act of eating oneself.
Similar
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew
- Proto-Indo-European*tó-
- Proto-Hellenic*autós
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew
- Ancient Greekαὖ (aû)
- Ancient Greekτόν (tón)
- Ancient Greekαὐτός (autós)
- Ancient Greekαὐτο- (auto-)
- Englishauto-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂g-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂g-
- Ancient Greekἔφᾰγον (éphăgon)
- Englishautophagy
Translations
Bengali আত্মভক্ষণ, অটোফেজি
- আত্মভক্ষণ (attobhokkhon)the process of self-digestion
- অটোফেজি (oṭōpheji)the process of self-digestion
Bulgarian автофагия
- автофагия (avtofagija)the process of self-digestion
Catalan autofàgia
- autofàgiathe process of self-digestion
Chinese Mandarin 自噬
- 自噬 (zìshì)the process of self-digestion
Czech autofagie
- autofagiethe process of self-digestion
Dutch autofagie
- autofagiethe process of self-digestion
Finnish autofagia
- autofagiathe process of self-digestion
French autophagie
- autophagiethe process of self-digestion
German Autophagie
- Autophagiethe process of self-digestion
Greek αυτοφαγία
- αυτοφαγία (aftofagía)the process of self-digestion
Hebrew אוֹטוֹפַגְיָה
- אוֹטוֹפַגְיָהthe process of self-digestion
Indonesian autofagi
- autofagithe process of self-digestion
Italian autofagia
- autofagiathe process of self-digestion
Japanese オートファジー
- オートファジー (ōtofajī)the process of self-digestion
Korean 오토파지
- 오토파지 (otopaji)the process of self-digestion
Latvian autofāgija
- autofāgijathe process of self-digestion
Lithuanian autofagija
- autofagijathe process of self-digestion
Norwegian Bokmål autofagi
- autofagithe process of self-digestion
Polish autofagia, autofagocytoza
- autofagiathe process of self-digestion
- autofagocytozathe process of self-digestion
Portuguese autofagia
- autofagiathe process of self-digestion
Russian аутофа́гия
- аутофа́гия (autofágija)the process of self-digestion
Spanish autofagia
- autofagiathe process of self-digestion
Swedish autofagi
- autofagithe process of self-digestion
Turkish otofaji
- otofajithe process of self-digestion
Ukrainian автофагі́я
- автофагі́я (avtofahíja)the process of self-digestion
Vietnamese tự thực, tự ăn mình
- tự thựcthe process of self-digestion
- tự ăn mìnhthe process of self-digestion
Cite this entry
APA
autophagy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autophagy
MLA
“autophagy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autophagy. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “autophagy,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autophagy.
Source: autophagy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.