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.
autotomic au'to·tom'ic (ô'tə-tŏm'ĭk) or au'tot'o·mous adj.
autotomize au·tot'o·mize' v.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
