Autocatalysis

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Autocatalysis \Au`to*ca*tal"y*sis\, n. [Auto- + catalysis.]
     (Chem.)
     Self-catalysis; catalysis of a substance by one of its own
     products, as of silver oxide by the silver formed by
     reduction of a small portion of it. -- {Au`to*cat`a*lyt"ic},
     a.


     [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  autocatalysis
       n : catalysis in which the catalyst is one of the products of
           the reaction
       [also: {autocatalyses} (pl)]