Willa CatherWarren E. LearyAda BrownellMark PurcellJohn C. Culver 
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What Can atrophy?
From its literal Greek roots, atrophy would mean basically "lack of nourishment". Although the English word doesn't usually imply any lack of food, it always refers to a wasting away. Those who have been bedridden for a period of time will notice that their muscles have atrophied. And muscular atrophy is a frequent result of such diseases as cancer and AIDS. We also use atrophy in a much more general sense. After being out of work a few years, you may find your work skills have atrophied; someone who's been living an isolated life may discover the same thing about his or her social skills; and a democracy can atrophy when its citizens cease to pay attention to how they're being governed.
Examples of atrophy in a Sentence
Nicholas Eberstadt, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2024
Susannah Rosen, now 10 years old, has rare mutations in a gene called KIF1A, which is associated with intellectual disability, spastic limbs, and atrophy of nerve cells in the brain and eye.
—Brittany Trang, STAT, 9 Aug. 2024
Jared Del Rosso, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024
Over time, the federal government abandoned a policy of managing production to support prices, prompting growers to become more export-oriented while local distribution networks atrophied.
—Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 30 May 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Atrophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atrophy. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
atrophy
1 of 2 noun
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