atony

American  

[at-n-ee] / ˈæt n i /

Also atonia

noun

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

2. Phonetics. lack of stress accent.

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atony British  

/ ˈætənɪ /

noun

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

2. phonetics lack of stress or accent on a syllable or word

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Etymology

Origin of atony

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

atony

Your disease is a deficiency of blood, a constitutional atony.

From Laboulaye's Fairy Book by Mary L. (Mary Louise) Booth

To overcome this "atony" of two or more feet of the lower bowel, a little "nutritious" suppository, weighing twenty grains, is a "specific."

From Intestinal Ills Chronic Constipation, Indigestion, Autogenetic Poisons, Diarrhea, Piles, Etc. Also Auto-Infection, Auto-Intoxication, Anemia, Emaciation, Etc. Due to Proctitis and Colitis by Alcinous B. (Alcinous Burton) Jamison

Dr. Twining also mentions these same properties, recommends it as a tonic and aperient of great benefit in atony of the digestive organs and expresses surprise that the Europeans make no use of it.

From The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines by Jerome Beers Thomas

The patient is unable to empty the bladder, and the condition of atony gets increasingly worse.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 1 "Bisharin" to "Bohea" by Various

If there is no obstruction to the flow of urine, the retention being due to atony or paralysis, a soft catheter is passed and the water drawn off.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 1 "Bisharin" to "Bohea" by Various