DictionaryRoot: lysis
Greek

lysis

loosening, release, or dissolution

Forms

  • lysis
  • lys- — Used before other endings.

Origin

Formed from Greek lyein, “loosen or release.”

Note

Separation or breakdown can be understood as releasing the bonds that hold something together.

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An East Asian scientist compares carefully arranged soil samples with a notebook and hand lens.
noun

analysis

uh-NAL-uh-sis/əˈnæləsɪs/

Detailed examination of something to understand it.

Etymology

The image is of loosening something up: a complex whole is broken into simpler elements. This became the intellectual process of examining those parts and how they relate.

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