Meaning & use
autolytic
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Relating to autolysis, the self-destruction of cells or tissue by enzymes produced within the body itself.
See it in a sentence
Autolytic debridement uses the body's own enzymes to break down dead tissue in a wound.
The cheese's texture develops through slow autolytic breakdown of proteins during aging.
A note on using this word
Built from the Greek roots 'auto-' (self) and 'lysis' (loosening or breaking down), a combination that recurs throughout biology and medicine.
Words with a similar meaning
self-digesting
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