word of the day:part thirty-seven | atrophy

atrophy

at·ro·phy [ˈætrəfɪ]

n.
1. Pathology A wasting or decrease in size of a body organ, tissue, or part owing to disease, injury, or lack of use: muscular atrophy of a person affected with paralysis.
2. A wasting away, deterioration, or diminution: intellectual atrophy.

v.tr.
To cause to wither or deteriorate; affect with atrophy.

v.intr.
To waste away; wither or deteriorate.

[Late Latin atrophia, from Greek atrophi, from atrophos, ill-nourished : a-, without; see a-1 + troph, food.]

atrophic | adj.
atrophies | pl.
atrophied, atrophying, atrophies | v.