atrophy
verbEtymology Borrowed from French atrophie, from Latin atrophia, from Ancient Greek ἀτροφία (atrophía, “a wasting away”), from ἄτροφος (átrophos, “ill-fed, un-nourished”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + τροφή (trophḗ, “nourishment”), from τρέφω (tréphō, “to fatten”). Equivalent to a- + -trophy.
1
To wither or waste away.
- Boy. I love summer vacation. I can feel my brain beginning to atrophy already.1987 June 13, Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes (comic):
- The M10 highway looks normal enough at the southern limits of St. Petersburg, but then, with a jolt, it begins to atrophy. For the next 430 miles the surface of the highway, while paved, varies from corduroy to jaw-rattling patchwork.2013 October 13, Ellen Barry, “The Russia Left Behind: A journey through a heartland on the slow road to ruin”, in The New York Times:
2
To cause to waste away or become abortive; to starve or weaken.
- Cold silence has a tendency to atrophy any sense of compassion2001, “Schism” (04:34-05:10 from the start), in Lateralus, performed by Tool:
- Antonyms
- hypertrophy, strengthen
- Related terms
- -trophy, hypotrophy, decondition