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necrosis

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

noun

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

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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.

Other Word Forms

  • necrotic adjective

Etymology

Origin of necrosis

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

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It primarily triggers necrosis, a form of cell death previously associated with molecules from other scorpion species.

From Science Daily • Nov. 18, 2025

Doctors said the pressure of the magnets had caused necrosis -- tissue death -- in four areas of the boy's small bowel and caecum, which is part of the large intestine.

From Barron's • Oct. 24, 2025

The opposite occurred, though, with necrosis setting in.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2025

A report by the Coroner would find that Mr Cull had died as a result of complications caused by a bowel obstruction and necrosis.

From BBC • Oct. 6, 2024

Pyrogen is released from leukocytes, adding fever to.hemorrhage, necrosis, and shock.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.