atrophy
Waste away, typically due to the degeneration of cells, or become vestigial during evolution; (of body tissue or an organ) waste away, especially as a result of the degeneration of cells, or become vestigial during evolution.
In sports, it specifically refers to muscle loss due to lack of use (disuse atrophy) during injury recovery.
Word relationships
- wasting: Wasting is a general term; atrophy is the technical biological term.
- hypertrophy: Hypertrophy is the growth and increase of muscle cells, the exact opposite of atrophy.
Word family
- atrophied (adjective): Having wasted away.
Collocations
- muscle atrophy
- disuse atrophy
- prevent atrophy
Example sentences
- "The muscles in his leg began to atrophy after several weeks in a cast." Describing the effect of a long-term injury.
Memory hook
Atrophy = A Trophy. If you don't use your muscles, you won't win 'A Trophy'. Wasting away from lack of use.
When not to use
Do not use for simple weight loss; it refers to the wasting of specific tissues like muscle.
Fun facts
- Astronauts in space suffer from muscle atrophy because the lack of gravity means their muscles don't have to work as hard.
Related words
Explore more words
degenerative, Erode, devolve, degradation, attrition, senescence
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