atrophy

[ a-truh-fee ]

noun

1. Also a·tro·phi·a [] Pathology. a wasting away of the body or of an organ or part, as from defective nutrition or nerve damage.
2. degeneration, decline, or decrease, as from disuse:

   He argued that there was a progressive atrophy of freedom and independence of thought.

verb (used with or without object)

, at·ro·phied, at·ro·phy·ing.

1. to affect with or undergo atrophy.

atrophy

/ ˈætrəfɪ; əˈtrɒfɪk /

noun

1. a wasting away of an organ or part, or a failure to grow to normal size as the result of disease, faulty nutrition, etc
2. any degeneration or diminution, esp through lack of use

verb

1. to waste away or cause to waste away

atrophy

/ ăt′rə-fē /

1. A wasting or decrease in the size of an organ or tissue, as from death and reabsorption of cells, diminished proliferation of cells, pressure, lack of oxygen, malnutrition, decreased function, or hormonal changes.

atrophy

1. The wasting away or decrease in size of an organ or tissue in the body. When a body part is affected by paralysis , the muscles may atrophy through lack of use.

Notes

The term is also used in a more general way to refer to a wasting process: “Since he stopped playing, his piano skills have atrophied.”

Derived Forms

• atrophic, adjective

Other Words From

• a·troph·ic [uh, -, trof, -ik, uh, -, troh, -fik], adjective
• nona·trophic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of atrophy¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; earlier atrophie, from Middle French, from Late Latin atrophia, from Greek, from átroph(os) “not fed, unnourished” (from a- a- ⁶ + troph(ḗ) “nourishment” + -os, adjective suffix; tropho- ) + -ia -ia

Word History and Origins

Origin of atrophy¹

C17: from Late Latin atrophia, from Greek, from atrophos ill-fed, from a- ¹+ -trophos from trephein to feed

Example Sentences

You can pick and choose and take what you can get—in fact, right now you should, because it’s the only thing keeping our hearts from atrophy.

From Slate

“We study bones, muscles, nerve cells, and the effects of microgravity on them. Through this research, we’ve discovered that osteoporosis on Earth is actually similar to bone loss in space. If we can uncover unique patterns in space, we might be able to develop special medications to counteract bone loss and muscle atrophy,” said Zhang Wei, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

From BBC

Luckily, the same system that instigated mass disease and physical and psychic atrophy can invent a market for “clean eating,” the branded backlash against factory farming’s poisoning and genetic modification of your food and soil and water and air.

From Los Angeles Times

As part of this new study, led by Genomics England, blood samples will be taken from babies' umbilical cords to help diagnose many more gene disorders, such as haemophilia and spinal muscular atrophy.

From BBC

As humanity, when we stop being curious about problem solving and being creative in how we look at things differently, we slowly atrophy.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• degeneration