autotomy

A1U1T1O1T1O1M3Y4
UK/ɔːˈtɒtəmi/

noun

The spontaneous removal of a limb, tail etc, especially by some invertebrates as a self-defense mechanism.

OriginGerman Autotomie ← French autotomie →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nounautotomy (countable and uncountable, plural autotomies)

plural autotomies

  1. countableuncountablebiologyThe spontaneous removal of a limb, tail etc, especially by some invertebrates as a self-defense mechanism.

    She has dropped it by autotomy, like the tail or claw of a fleeing lizard, lobster, or starfish.

    1990, Camille Paglia, Sexual Personae

Origin

  1. Frenchautotomie
  2. GermanAutotomie
  3. Englishautotomy

From auto- + -tomy, after German Autotomie or French autotomie.

More words from German, French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Basque autotomia
  • autotomiainvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Bulgarian автотомия
  • автотомия (avtotomija)invertebrate self-defense mechanism
Catalan autotomia
  • autotomiainvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Chinese Mandarin 自割
  • 自割 (zigē)invertebrate self-defense mechanism
Czech autotomie
  • autotomieinvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Danish autotomi
  • autotomiinvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Estonian autotoomia
  • autotoomiainvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Finnish autotomia
  • autotomiainvertebrate self-defense mechanism
French autotomie
  • autotomieinvertebrate self-defense mechanism
German Autotomie
  • Autotomieinvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Greek αυτοτομία
  • αυτοτομία (aftotomía)invertebrate self-defense mechanism
Hungarian autotómia
  • autotómiainvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Indonesian autotomi
  • autotomiinvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Italian autotomia
  • autotomiainvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Japanese 自切
  • 自切 (jisetsu)invertebrate self-defense mechanism
Latin autotomia
  • autotomiainvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Norwegian autotomi
  • autotomiinvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Polish autotomia
  • autotomiainvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Portuguese autotomia
  • autotomiainvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Russian автотоми́я, аутотоми́я
  • автотоми́я (avtotomíja)invertebrate self-defense mechanism
  • аутотоми́я (autotomíja)invertebrate self-defense mechanism
Slovak autotómia
  • autotómiainvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Spanish autotomía
  • autotomíainvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Swedish autotomi
  • autotomiinvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Tamil தற்பிரிவு
  • தற்பிரிவு (taṟpirivu)invertebrate self-defense mechanism
Turkish ototomi
  • ototomiinvertebrate self-defense mechanism
Ukrainian автотомі́я
  • автотомі́я (avtotomíja)invertebrate self-defense mechanism
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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