atony

[ at-n-ee ]

/ ˈæt n i /

noun

Pathology. lack of tone or energy; muscular weakness, especially in a contractile organ.

Phonetics. lack of stress accent.

Words nearby atony

atone, atonement, atonic, atonic bladder, atonicity, atony, atop, atopen, atopic, atopic allergy, atopic cataract

Also a·to·ni·a

[uh-toh-nee-uh, ey-toh-] /əˈtoʊ ni ə, eɪˈtoʊ-/.

Origin of atony

1685–95; < Late Latin atonia < Greek, derivative of átonos unaccented, languid, literally, toneless. See a-⁶, tone

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for atony

Atony of the muscularis of the intestine is admittedly the direct cause, in most instances, of constipation.
The Electric Bath|George M. Schweig
Atony: the child does not move; he cannot stand; he cannot sit upright nor execute any movement whatever.
Montessori Elementary Materials|Maria Montessori
Atony, at′on-i, n. want of tone or energy: debility: relaxation.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various
Atony and hyperactivity may be overcome by appropriate educational remedies which we will now discuss.
Montessori Elementary Materials|Maria Montessori

Joy is the vital air of the soul, and grief is a kind of asthma complicated by atony.
Leaves of Life|Margaret Bird Steinmetz

British Dictionary definitions for atony

atony

/ (ˈætənɪ) /

noun

pathol lack of normal tone or tension, as in muscles; abnormal relaxation of a muscle

phonetics lack of stress or accent on a syllable or word

Word Origin for atony

C17: from Latin atonia, from Greek: tonelessness, from atonos slack, from a- 1 + tonos tone

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for atony

atony

[ ăt′ə-nē, ăt′n-ē ]

n.

Lack of normal tone or tension; flaccidity.