necrosis

American  

[nuh-kroh-sis, ne-] / nəˈkroʊ sɪs, nɛ- /

noun

necroses plural

1. death of a circumscribed portion of animal or plant tissue.

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necrosis British  

/ nɛˈkrəʊsɪs, nɛˈkrɒtɪk /

noun

1. the death of one or more cells in the body, usually within a localized area, as from an interruption of the blood supply to that part

2. death of plant tissue due to disease, frost, etc

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necrosis Scientific  

/ nə-krō′sĭs /

1. The death of cells or tissues from severe injury or disease, especially in a localized area of the body. Causes of necrosis include inadequate blood supply (as in infarcted tissue), bacterial infection, traumatic injury, and hyperthermia.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• necrotic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• necroses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of necrosis

First recorded in 1655–65; from New Latin, from Greek nékrōsis “mortification, state of death”; see origin at necr-, -osis

Compare meaning

How does necrosis compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• gangrene vs. necrosis
• infarction vs. necrosis

Explanation

Necrosis is when cells in your skin or other parts of your body die. Civil War soldiers with gangrene who had their limbs amputated suffered from necrosis. You're not likely to come across the noun necrosis unless you're in a hospital or a medical school pathology class. It's a term that describes the death of cells in a living organism, usually after an infection or severe illness. It's not something most people need to worry about, unless they are bit by a brown recluse spider. Its venom has been shown to kill live cells in humans — in other words, to cause necrosis.

Example Sentences

Necrosis, then, is the cellular version of a “bad death.”

From New York Times • Mar. 13, 2017

Necrosis, which occurs in a transplanted heart undergoing rejection, causes a very powerful activation of the body’s immune system.

From New York Times • Mar. 13, 2017

There is also many a furrowed brow when talk turns to the perils of Needle Necrosis, a bogeyman to tree growers everywhere.

From BBC • Oct. 26, 2014

Necrosis and sloughing of the periosteum itself may also happen, but as the extreme vascularity of the membrane is a fairly strong safeguard against that it is of only rare occurrence.

From Diseases of the Horse's Foot by Reeks, Harry Caulton

Necrosis and consequent sloughing of the skin is bound to follow, and an extensive ulcerous wound, or a spreading suppuration of the coronary cushion is the result.

From Diseases of the Horse's Foot by Reeks, Harry Caulton

Related Words

• decease
• demise
• dying
• expiration
• loss of life
• passing