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apophysis

apop·hy·sis

UK/əˈpɒfɪsɪs/ US/əˈpɑfɪsɪs/ uncommon

noun

1.

(botany) a natural swelling or enlargement: at the base of the stalk or seta in certain mosses or on the cone scale of certain conifers

2.

(anatomy) a natural outgrowth or projection on an organ or body part such as the process of a vertebra

Origin

From Ancient Greek ἀπόφυσις (apóphusis, “offshoot”), from ἀπό (apó) + φύω (phúō, “to bring forth”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to exist, to grow”). Equivalent to apo- + -physis.

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Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.