matriphagy

M3A1T1R1I1P3H4A1G2Y4

noun

The condition where organisms feed on their own mother.

Scrabble 21
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Meanings

nounmatriphagy (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe condition where organisms feed on their own mother.
    1 more example

    As we discover in Parenthood, the mother spider gives her life for her spiderlings, who, when the time is right, slowly but surely creep up on her and their other elderly relatives en masse and eat them alive... making room for the new generation. Known as matriphagy, for director Jeff Wilson this moment provided the scene for "the perfect natural history sequence", as well as "the best narration I've ever heard him [Sir David] do."

    2025 August 3, Paul Glynn, “Attenborough gives 'family feels' in new show Parenthood”, in BBC News

Origin

From matri- (“mother”) + -phagy (“to feed on”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Portuguese matrifagia
  • matrifagiaTranslations
Spanish matrifagia
  • matrifagiaTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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