— atrophic /euh trof"ik, euh troh"fik/ , adj.
/a"treuh fee/ , n. , v. , atrophied, atrophying .
n.
1. Also, atrophia /euh troh"fee euh/ . Pathol. a wasting away of the body or of an organ or part, as from defective nutrition or nerve damage.
2. degeneration, decline, or decrease, as from disuse: He argued that there was a progressive atrophy of freedom and independence of thought.
v.t. , v.i.
3. to affect with or undergo atrophy.
[ 1590-1600; earlier atrophie ( atrophia átroph ( os ) not fed (see A- 6 , TROPHO-) + -ia -IA ]