Atrophy Word Meaning

late 16th century: from French atrophier (verb), atrophie (noun), from late Latin atrophia, from Greek, ‘lack of food’, from atrophos ‘poorly nourished’, from a- ‘without’ + trophē ‘food’

(of body tissue or an organ) waste away, especially as a result of the degeneration of cells, or become vestigial during evolution

waste away as result of degeneration of cells

• the calf muscles will atrophy

gradually decline in effectiveness or vigour due to underuse or neglect

gradually decline in effectiveness or vigour due to underuse or neglect

• the imagination can atrophy from lack of use

the process of atrophying or state of having atrophied

process of atrophying or state of having atrophied

• gastric atrophy
• extensive TV viewing may lead to atrophy of children's imaginations