Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

autophagy

/ɔˈtɑfəd͡ʒi/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.46 in modern English

Syllables
au-tophagy
IPA
/ɔˈtɑfəd͡ʒi/
18
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

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

noun

A type of programmed cell death accomplished through self-digestion.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Self-consumption; the act of eating oneself.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew Proto-Indo-European *tó- Proto-Hellenic *autós Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewder. Ancient Greek αὖ (aû) Ancient Greek τόν (tón) Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós) Ancient Greek αὐτο- (auto-)lbor. English auto- Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂g- Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂g-der. Ancient Greek ἔφᾰγον (éphăgon) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek -φᾰγίᾱ (-phăgíā)lbor. English -phagy English autophagy From auto- + -phagy.

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ɔˈtɑfəd͡ʒi/

Usage

Inflected Forms

autophagies (plural)

Derived Forms

antiautophagy lipoautophagy macroautophagy microautophagy mitophagy

Frequently Paired Words

autophagal autophagous apoptosis programmed cell death

Synonyms

autocytolysis autocannibalism

Questions

How do you pronounce autophagy?
The recorded pronunciation is /ɔˈtɑfəd͡ʒi/.
What does autophagy mean?
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.
Where does autophagy come from?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew Proto-Indo-European *tó- Proto-Hellenic *autós Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewder. Ancient Greek αὖ (aû) Ancient Greek τόν (tón) Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós) Ancient Greek αὐτο- (auto-)lbor. English auto- Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂g- Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂g-der. Ancient Greek ἔφᾰγον (éphăgon) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek -φᾰγίᾱ (-phăgíā)lbor. English -phagy English autophagy From auto- + -phagy.

How to pronounce autophagy

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “autophagy”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɔˈtɑfəd͡ʒi/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “autophagy”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “autophagy” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.