| 释义 |
at·ro·phy
I. \ˈa.trəfē, -fi\ noun
(-es)
Etymology: Late Latin atrophia, from Greek, from atrophos ill fed (from a- a- (II) + trophos feeder, from trephein to nourish, curdle) + -ia -y; akin to Greek thremma nursling, trophis fat, thrombos clot, curd, and perhaps to Sanskrit drapsa drop
1. : decrease in size of a part or tissue after full development has been attained : a wasting away of tissue (as from disuse, old age, injury, or disease)
< senile atrophy >
< muscular atrophy >
2. : a stoppage of development of a part or organ incidental to the normal development or life of an animal or plant often followed by diminution in size of or complete disappearance of the part or organ
3. : a wasting away or progressive decline : degeneration
< the atrophy of freedom >
< the atrophy of an empire >
II. \-fē, -fi, -ˌfī\ verb
(-ed/-ing/-es)
intransitive verb
: to undergo atrophy
< the inactive muscles atrophied >
transitive verb
: to cause to undergo atrophy
< disuse atrophied the arm > |