noun
(biology) degenerative reversion of cells or tissue to a less differentiated or more primitive form
• Derivationally related forms: ↑cataplastic
• Topics: ↑biology, ↑biological science
• Hypernyms: ↑degeneration, ↑retrogression
* * *
—cataplastic /kat'euh plas"tik/, adj.
/kat'euh play"zheuh, -zhee euh, -zee euh/, n. Biol.
degeneration of a cell or tissue.
[CATA- + -PLASIA]
Useful english dictionary. 2012.