autothysis

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noun

A process by which an animal destroys itself via internal rupture or explosion of an organ.

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Meanings

nounautothysis (uncountable)
  1. uncountablebiologyA process by which an animal destroys itself via internal rupture or explosion of an organ.

    Another example of autothysis, or defensive suicidal rupturing, can be found in Neocapritermes taracua.

    2018 April 29, Killian Fox, The Observer

Origin

From the Ancient Greek roots αὐτός (autós, “self”) and θυσία (thusía, “sacrifice”); proposed by Maschwitz and Maschwitz in 1974 to describe the defensive mechanism of the carpenter ant Camponotus saundersi.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

autothysis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autothysis

MLA

“autothysis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autothysis. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “autothysis,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autothysis.

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