ATROPHY

atrophy, withering

(noun) any weakening or degeneration (especially through lack of use)

atrophy, wasting, wasting away

(noun) a decrease in size of an organ caused by disease or disuse

atrophy

(verb) undergo atrophy; “Muscles that are not used will atrophy”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

atrophy (countable and uncountable, plural atrophies)

(pathology) A reduction in the functionality of an organ caused by disease, injury or lack of use. [from early 17th c.]

Verb

atrophy (third-person singular simple present atrophies, present participle atrophying, simple past and past participle atrophied)

(intransitive) To wither or waste away. [from early 18th c.]

(transitive) To cause to waste away or become abortive; to starve or weaken.

Antonyms

• hypertrophy

• strengthen

Source: Wiktionary


At"ro*phy, n. Etym: [L. atrophia, Gr. atrophie.]

Definition: A wasting away from want of nourishment; diminution in bulk or slow emaciation of the body or of any part. Milton.

At"ro*phy, v. t. [p. p. Atrophied.]

Definition: To cause to waste away or become abortive; to starve or weaken.

At"ro*phy, v. i.

Definition: To waste away; to dwindle.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

24 May 2025

EARTHSHAKING

(adjective) sufficiently significant to affect the whole world; “earthshaking proposals”; “the contest was no world-shaking affair”; “the conversation...could hardly be called world-shattering”


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Coffee Trivia

You can overdose on coffee if you drink about 30 cups in a brief period to get close to a lethal dosage of caffeine.

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