Apophysis
WordNet
noun
(1) (anatomy) a natural outgrowth or projection on an organ or body part such as the process of a vertebra
(2) (botany) a natural swelling or enlargement: at the base of the stalk or seta in certain mosses or on the cone scale of certain conifers
WiktionaryText
Etymology
Greek απόφυσις (offshoot), from ἀπό + φύειν (to bring forth) < Proto-Indo-European base *bheu- (to exist, to grow).
Noun
- A natural outgrowth, swelling or enlargement, usually of an organism; A protuberance on a bone.
- A branch of a dike or vein