Autocannibalism

Autocannibalism, also known as self-cannibalism and autosarcophagy, is the practice of eating parts of one's own body. Generally, only the consumption of flesh (including organ meat such as heart or liver) by an individual of the same species is considered cannibalism. In line with this usage, self-cannibalism means the consumption of flesh from one's own body. While some texts use this strict definition, others use the term autocannibalism in a wider sense that includes the consumption of hair or nails from one's own body.

Both humans and some animal species occasionally practice self-cannibalism. In humans, it can be a symptom of a mental disorder, but there are also a handful of people who have voluntarily consumed an amputated body part. In other cases, people were forced to eat parts of themselves as a form of torture.

A similar term that is applied differently is autophagy, which specifically denotes the normal process of self-degradation by cells. While typically used only for this specific process, autophagy has nonetheless occasionally been used as a general synonym for self-cannibalism.