atrophy
pronunciation
How to pronounce atrophy in British English:
UK [ˈætrəfi]
How to pronounce atrophy in American English:
US [ˈætrəfi]
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- Noun:
- a decrease in size of an organ caused by disease or disuse
- any weakening or degeneration (especially through lack of use)
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- Verb:
- undergo atrophy
Word Origin
- atrophy (n.)
- "a wasting away through lack of nourishment," 1620s (atrophied is from 1590s), from French atrophie, from Late Latin atrophia, from Greek atrophia "a wasting away," noun of state from atrophos "ill-fed, un-nourished," from a- "not" + trophe "nourishment," from trephein "to fatten" (see -trophy).
- atrophy (v.)
- 1822 (implied in atrophied), from atrophy (n.). Related: Atrophying.
Example
- 1. Learning keeps our minds active and alert which helps prevent mental atrophy .
- 2. If you don 't exercise your muscles , they weaken and atrophy .
- 3. This is bad news : pronounced brain atrophy is a feature of dementia .
- 4. Also on my mri comparisons over 2 years , no brain mass atrophy .
- 5. These results contradict previous studies that show lots of cell death in muscles during atrophy .