Autophagy

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The process of self-digestion by a cell through the action of enzymes originating within the same cell, and often a defensive or self-preservation measure. countable, uncountable

    "Near-synonym: autocytolysis"

  2. 2
    A type of programmed cell death accomplished through self-digestion. countable, uncountable
  3. 3
    Self-consumption; the act of eating oneself. countable, rare, uncountable

Synonyms

All synonyms
apoptosisautocannibalismautocannibalismautocytolysisautophagia

Example

More examples

"One mechanism involves disarming a biological process known as autophagy. Under normal circumstances, autophagy allows cells to sweep away debris, including viruses; but, by suppressing this function, HIV is able to keep on infecting white blood cells, eventually leading to a breakdown of the protective immune system."

Etymology

From auto- + -phagy.

Related phrases

cell death

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.