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- Dictionaryatrophy/ˈatrəfi/
verb
- 1. (of body tissue or an organ) waste away, especially as a result of the degeneration of cells, or become vestigial during evolution: "the calf muscles will atrophy" Similar Opposite
- 2. gradually decline in effectiveness or vigour due to underuse or neglect: "the imagination can atrophy from lack of use" Similar Opposite
noun
- 1. the process of atrophying or state of having atrophied: "gastric atrophy"
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ATROPHY definition: 1. (of a part of the body) to be reduced in size and therefore strength, or, more generally, to…. Learn more.
The meaning of ATROPHY is decrease in size or wasting away of a body part or tissue; also : arrested development or loss of a part or organ incidental to the normal development or life of an animal or plant.
Atrophy, decrease in size of a body part, cell, organ, or other tissue. Atrophy is a hallmark of conditions such as starvation, aging, and certain disease states. It also occurs normally in some cells and organs at certain life stages. Learn more about the types and physiological effects of atrophy.
Atrophy is the general physiological process of reabsorption and breakdown of tissues, involving apoptosis. When it occurs as a result of disease or loss of trophic support because of other diseases, it is termed pathological atrophy, although it can be a part of normal body development and homeostasis as well.
Atrophy occurs in parts of the body that can't move or be "fed" because of disease or injury. It also is used to describe things that go dull through lack of use, like skills in sports or artistic creativity.
(of a part of the body) to be reduced in size and therefore strength, or, more generally, to become weaker: After several months in a hospital bed, my leg muscles had atrophied. In the 1980s, their political power gradually atrophied (= became weaker). SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Disorders of muscles & the nervous system.
Atrophy definition: a wasting away of the body or of an organ or part, as from defective nutrition or nerve damage.. See examples of ATROPHY used in a sentence.
If a muscle or other part of the body atrophies, it decreases in size or strength, often as a result of an illness. [formal] Scott's muscle atrophied, his leg became stunted, and he was left lame. [VERB] Patients exercised their atrophied limbs in the swimming pool. [VERB-ed]
noun. /ˈætrəfi/ [uncountable] (medical) the condition of losing fat, muscle, strength, etc. in a part of the body because it does not have enough blood. (medical) muscle atrophy. (figurative, formal) The cultural life of the country will sink into atrophy unless more writers and artists emerge. Word Origin. Join us.
ATROPHY meaning: gradual loss of muscle or flesh usually because of disease or lack of use often used figuratively.
