apophysis

Meaning

Noun

• A natural outgrowth, swelling or enlargement, usually of an organism; a protuberance on a bone.
• The external part of a cone scale.
• A branch of a dike or vein.

Origin

• From Ancient Greek ἀπόφυσις ("offshoot"), from ἀπό + φύω, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- ("to exist, to grow"). Equivalent to apo- + -physis