From Ancient Greek ἀπόπτωσις, from ἀπό ("away from") + πτῶσις ("falling").

• (British) IPA: /ˌapɒpˈtəʊsɪs/
• (America) IPA: /ˌæ.pəˈtoʊ.sɪs/, /ˌæpəpˈtoʊsəs/

apoptosis

1. (biology, cytology) A process of programmed cell death by which cells undergo an ordered sequence of events which leads to death of the cell, as occurs during growth and development of the organism, as a part of normal cell aging, or as a response to cellular injury. [from 20th c.]
   • 2011, Terence Allen, Graham Cowling, The Cell: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, page 74:

     Apoptosis is routine in developmental processes such as the removal of webbing between fingers in humans, the loss of tadpole tails in amphibians, and insect metamorphosis.

• French: apoptose
• German: Apoptose
• Italian: apoptosi
• Portuguese: apoptose
• Russian: апопто́з
• Spanish: apoptosis