hypertrophy

American  

[hahy-pur-truh-fee] / haɪˈpɜr trə fi /

noun

plural

hypertrophies

1. abnormal enlargement of a part or organ; excessive growth.

2. excessive growth or accumulation of any kind.

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verb (used with or without object)

hypertrophied, hypertrophying

1. to affect with or undergo hypertrophy.

hypertrophy British  

/ ˌhaɪpəˈtrɒfɪk, haɪˈpɜːtrəfɪ /

noun

1. enlargement of an organ or part resulting from an increase in the size of the cells Compare atrophy hyperplasia

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verb

1. to undergo or cause to undergo this condition

Other Word Forms

• hypertrophic adjective

Etymology

Origin of hypertrophy

First recorded in 1825–35; hyper- + -trophy

Example Sentences

For example, the diabetic human heart organoids were larger, suggesting signs of cardiac hypertrophy -- a first hallmark of maternal pregestational diabetes.

From Science Daily • Feb. 8, 2024

When you do strength training, over time, exercises that at first felt difficult become easier as your muscles increase in strength and size — a process called hypertrophy.

From Washington Post • Feb. 12, 2022

Other researchers have noted that years of repeated use can accelerate hypertrophy, the increase of muscle cells.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2021

This kind of hypertrophy, as it’s called, is frequently seen in patients who have high blood pressure, when the heart has to work hard to squeeze its payload into the bloodstream.

From New York Times • Jul. 28, 2021

She was a frosty girl, plain and colorless, who protected herself against a world she disliked by a mask-like expression and a hypertrophy of intellect.

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov