dystrophy
Americannoun
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Medicine/Medical. faulty or inadequate nutrition or development.
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Pathology. any of a number of disorders characterized by weakening, degeneration, or abnormal development of muscle.
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Ecology. the state of being dystrophic.
noun
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any of various bodily disorders, characterized by wasting of tissues See also muscular dystrophy
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ecology a condition of lake water when it is too acidic and poor in oxygen to support life, resulting from excessive humus content
Other Word Forms
- dystrophic adjective
Etymology
Origin of dystrophy
From the New Latin word dystrophia, dating back to 1885–90. See dys-, -trophy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sarcopenia is a form of muscular dystrophy associated with aging and is a popular condition for biotech companies that harbor greater goals of reversing or slowing aging to target.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
A third patient died in a study examining the efficacy of the therapy with regard to a different disease called limb-girdle muscular dystrophy.
From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026
The group said Khalid has limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, a genetic condition, and was on an "extremely dangerous" thirst strike.
From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026
Examples include Huntington's disease, myotonic dystrophy, and certain forms of ALS.
From Science Daily • Jan. 9, 2026
There were tiny babies with club feet, children who had paralyzed limbs from polio, adolescents dying from muscular dystrophy.
From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.