atrophy

[a-truh-fee]

noun

1. Pathology.,  Also atrophia 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)

atrophied, atrophying 

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

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.

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.”

Other Word Forms

• atrophic adjective
• nonatrophic 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

The new version, which Novartis will sell under the brand name Itvisma, is approved for spinal muscular atrophy patients aged 2 and older.

Read more on Barron's

But as his body began failing him due to progressive muscular atrophy, the myth crumbled.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The basis for that analogy is the profound neuronal atrophy and loss associated with advanced dementia.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Participants in the latest trial had an advanced stage of age-related macular degeneration known as geographic atrophy, which progressively destroys central vision.

Read more on Science Daily

Obesity typically causes a reduction in muscle fiber diameter, but green tea prevented this muscle atrophy.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• degeneration