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AUTOTOMY

 - 5 dictionary results

au⋅tot⋅o⋅my

  [aw-tot-uh-mee]
Use AUTOTOMY in a Sentence
–noun, plural -mies.
1. Zoology.
a. separation of a body part.
b. self-amputation of a damaged or trapped appendage.
2. the performance of surgery upon oneself.
Origin:
1895–1900; auto- 1 + -tomy

Related forms:
au⋅to⋅tom⋅ic  [aw-tuh-tom-ik] , au⋅tot⋅o⋅mous, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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au·tot·o·my   (ô-tŏt'ə-mē)   
n.  The spontaneous casting off of a limb or other body part, such as the tail of certain lizards or the claw of a lobster, especially when the organism is injured or under attack.
au'to·tom'ic (ô'tə-tŏm'ĭk), au'tot'o·mous adj., au·tot'o·mize' v.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: au·tot·o·my
Pronunciation: o-'tät-&-mE
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -mies
: reflexseparation of a part from the body especially in an invertebrate
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

autotomy au·tot·o·my (ô-tŏt'ə-mē)
n.
The spontaneous casting off of a body part, especially of an invertebrate, when injured or under attack.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia

autotomy

the ability of certain animals to release part of the body that has been grasped by an external agent. A notable example is found among lizards that break off the tail when it is seized by a predator. The phenomenon is found also among certain worms, salamanders, and spiders. The cast-off part is sometimes regenerated

Learn more about autotomy with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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