hypoplasia

American  

[hahy-puh-pley-zhuh, -zhee-uh, -zee-uh] / ˌhaɪ pəˈpleɪ ʒə, -ʒi ə, -zi ə /

Also hypoplasty

noun

1. Pathology. abnormal deficiency of cells or structural elements.

2. (in plants) inability to mature properly owing to a disease or inadequate supply of nutrients.

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hypoplasia British  

/ ˌhaɪpəʊˈplæzɪə, ˈhaɪpəʊˌplæstɪ, ˌhaɪpəʊˈplæstɪk /

noun

1. pathol incomplete development of an organ or part

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Other Word Forms

• hypoplastic adjective

Etymology

Origin of hypoplasia

First recorded in 1895–1900; hypo- + -plasia

Example Sentences

He was born with a condition called renal hypoplasia, which prevented his own kidneys from fully developing.

From Scientific American • Oct. 19, 2023

Many of the cats she adopts have cerebellar hypoplasia, also known as wobbly cat syndrome, which is a neurological condition caused by infection before birth.

From BBC • Jul. 30, 2022

Other viruses induce hypoplasia, or decreased cell growth, in the leaves of plants, causing thin, yellow areas to appear.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

“If you tell a lay person” that a child has “mandibular hypoplasia, or maxillary deficiency, or adenoidal facies — it sounds bad,” said Vig.

From Slate • Jul. 27, 2020

Peter, it turned out, has a rare disorder called optic nerve hypoplasia in which the eyes’ nerve bundles fail to develop properly and for which there is no cure.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 1, 2018