‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. ne`krwsis, fr. nekroy^n to make dead, to mortify, nekro`s a dead body. ] 1. (Med.) The pathologic death of part of a tissue due to irreversible damage. Contrast to necrobiosis, which is a normal death of cells in a tissue. Formerly, applied primarily to death of bone tissue. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

2. (Bot.) A disease of trees, in which the branches gradually dry up from the bark to the center. [ 1913 Webster ]