muscular dystrophy

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. a hereditary disease characterized by gradual wasting of the muscles with replacement by scar tissue and fat, sometimes also affecting the heart.

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muscular dystrophy British  

noun

1. a genetic disease characterized by progressive deterioration and wasting of muscle fibres, causing difficulty in walking

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muscular dystrophy Scientific  

/ mŭs′kyə-lərdĭs′trə-fē /

1. Any of a group of inherited progressive muscle disorders caused by a defect in one or more genes that control muscle function and characterized by gradual irreversible wasting of skeletal muscle.

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muscular dystrophy Cultural  

1. A hereditary disease in which the muscles progressively waste away. The disease can be potentially treated through gene therapy.

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Etymology

Origin of muscular dystrophy

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

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

These conditions account for roughly 10% of inherited diseases, including cystic fibrosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2026

The only car here that doesn’t have a Ferrari badge is a lime-green 1972 Dino GTS, named after Enzo Ferrari’s son who died of muscular dystrophy at age 24.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

She works with George Baker, who has congenital muscular dystrophy and says Lauren acts as his "arms and legs in an office" while he runs The Disability Union, an organisation representing thousands of disabled people.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 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