atrophy: Meaning and Definition of

at•ro•phy

Pronunciation: (a'tru-fē), [key]
— n., v., -phied, -phy•ing.
—n.
  1. 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.
  1. to affect with or undergo atrophy.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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