amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

American  

[ey-mahy-uh-trof-ik, -troh-fik, ey-mahy-uh-] / ˌeɪ maɪ əˈtrɒf ɪk, -ˈtroʊ fɪk, eɪˌmaɪ ə- /

noun

Pathology.

1. an incurable disease of unknown cause in which progressive degeneration of motor neurons in the brain stem and spinal cord leads to atrophy and eventually complete paralysis of the voluntary muscles. ALS

---

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis British  

/ ˌæmɪəʊˈtrəʊfɪk /

noun

1. Also called: Lou Gehrig's disease.  a form of motor neurone disease in which degeneration of motor tracts in the spinal cord causes progressive muscular paralysis starting in the limbs

---

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Scientific  

/ ā′mī-ə-trō′fĭk,-ə-trŏf′ĭk,ā-mī′- /

1. A chronic, progressive neurologic disease marked by gradual degeneration of the neurons in the spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. The disorder causes muscle weakness and atrophy and usually results in death. Also called Lou Gehrig's disease, after the American baseball player (1903–41) who was the first public figure to suffer from the disease.

---

Etymology

Origin of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

First recorded in 1885–90; a- ⁶ + myo- + -trophic

Example Sentences

Actor Eric Dane, who rose to fame as Dr. Mark Sloan on “Grey’s Anatomy,” died Thursday afternoon following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

A former competitive swimmer and water polo player, he said ALS — also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease — initially caused the right side of his body to stop working.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

In June of that year he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a rapid neurodegenerative disease that kills the brain cells needed to control muscles in the body.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

The work centers around altering the interaction between two proteins that are believed to be involved in setting the stage for diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

From Science Daily • Apr. 25, 2024

The letter inside was typed, obviously, because Stephen Hawking can’t use his hands, because he has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which I know about, unfortunately.

From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer