Necrolysis
/ˌnɛkrəˈlɪsɪs/noun
The breakdown or destruction of dead tissue, especially in medical contexts.
Did you know?Its first element comes from Greek nekros, “dead body,” and the second from lysis, “loosening” or “dissolution,” the same root behind words like analysis and paralysis.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
nekros + lysis
“dead body + loosening, dissolution”
Late Greek
Greek
nekrōsis / nekrōlysis
“death or dead tissue breakdown, dissolution of dead matter”
Modern Medical Latin
Latin
necrolysis
“destruction or disintegration of dead tissue”
Modern English
English
necrolysis
“breakdown of dead tissue, especially in medicine”