/ ˈætrəfi; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
[ U ] ( medical ) the condition of losing flesh, muscle, strength, etc. in a part of the body because it does not have enough blood :
( figurative , formal )
The cultural life of the country will sink into atrophy unless more writers and artists emerge.
■ verb
( at·ro·phies , at·ro·phy·ing , at·ro·phied , at·ro·phied ) [ v ] if a part of the body atrophies , it becomes weak because it is not used or because it does not have enough blood :
( figurative )
Memory can atrophy through lack of use.
► at·ro·phied adjective :
atrophied muscles
atrophied religious values
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WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent.: from French atrophier (verb), atrophie (noun), from late Latin atrophia , from Greek , lack of food, from a- without + trophē food.