atrophy

/ˈætrəfi/

/ˈætrəfi/

Other forms: atrophied; atrophies; atrophying

Wearing a cast on a broken leg can cause atrophy, or withering, in the leg, because it is immobilized and gets no exercise.

Appearing in English in the 17th century, the word atrophy originally described a lack of nourishment. 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. The (unrelated) word "trophy" refers to something that sits on a shelf and is admired, while atrophy is a condition of being "shelved," or made inactive and lifeless.

Definitions of atrophy

1. noun

   a decrease in size of an organ caused by disease or disuse
   synonyms: wasting, wasting away

   types:

   amyotrophia, amyotrophy

   progressive wasting of muscle tissues

   tabes

   wasting of the body during a chronic disease

   kraurosis

   atrophy and shriveling of the skin or mucous membrane

   kraurosis vulvae

   kraurosis of the vulva; often a precancerous lesion

   type of:

   symptom

   (medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease
2. noun

   any weakening or degeneration (especially through lack of use)
   synonyms: withering

   type of:

   weakening

   becoming weaker
3. verb

   undergo weakening or degeneration as through lack of use
   “Muscles that are not used will atrophy”

   type of:

   shrink, shrivel, shrivel up, wither

   wither, as with a loss of moisture