To undergo or perform self-amputation; to detach a part of one's body voluntarily or involuntarily.
From Greek 'auto-' (self) + 'tomise' (from 'tome' meaning cut, with '-ise' British verbal suffix). British English spelling variant used in scientific and medical contexts.
When a lizard is caught by the tail and autotomises, it's not a voluntary decision—it's an involuntary reflex. The tail detaches at a special fracture plane in the vertebrae, and some studies suggest the tail releases opioids to numb the pain!
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