Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to loosen, divide, cut apart."

It forms all or part of: absolute; absolution; absolve; analysis; analytic; catalysis; catalyst; catalytic; dialysis; dissolve; electrolysis; electrolyte; forlorn; Hippolytus; hydrolysis; -less; loess; loose; lorn; lose; loss; Lysander; lysergic; lysis; -lysis; lyso-; lysol; lytic; -lytic; palsy; paralysis; pyrolusite; resolute; resolution; resolve; soluble; solute; solution; solve; solvent.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit lunati "cuts, cuts off," lavitram "sickle;" Greek lyein "to loosen, untie, slacken," lysus "a loosening;" Latin luere "to loose, release, atone for, expiate;" Old Norse lauss "loose, free, unencumbered; vacant; dissolute;" Old English losian "be lost, perish."

1865, "the destruction of life," later more specifically "dissolution of a living organism, resolution of a dead organism into its constituent matter" (1880s); see bio- + -lysis. Related: Biolytic.

1891, from French; see glyco- + -lysis.

"dissolution of cells, bacteria, etc.," 1902, from -lysis or from Latin lysis, from Greek lysis "a loosening," from lyein "to unfasten, loose, loosen, untie" (from PIE root *leu- "to loosen, divide, cut apart"). Earlier in the sense "gradual recession of a disease" (1834).

word-forming element for making verbs corresponding to nouns in -lysis. Chiefly U.S.; the British preferring -lyse.

1883, in biology, from French plasmolysis (1877), from plasmo- (see plasma) + Greek lysis "a loosening" (see -lysis). Related: Plasmolytic; plasmolyze.

"decomposition by the action of heat," 1879, from pyro- + -lysis. Related: Pyrolytic; pyrolyse.