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atrophy

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atrophy

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++
Related topics: Illness & disability, Biology
at·ro·phy /ˈætrəfi/ verb (atrophied, atrophying, atrophies) [intransitive, transitive]  MIif a part of the body atrophies or is atrophied, it becomes weak because of lack of use or lack of blood (使)〔身体部位〕萎缩,(使)衰退 therapy to prevent the leg muscles from atrophying 防止腿部肌肉萎缩的疗法atrophy noun [uncountable]
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Examples from the Corpus
atrophyIn the end, in the final few days, the Labour campaign atrophied.Indeed, in most we find it's atrophied.Something in her that had, at first, revolted in anger and frustration at her own helplessness, now shrivelled and atrophied.The muscles in her eyes have not atrophied.His muscles had atrophied after the surgery.Whatever character or vision he might have had atrophied along the way.What had begun with good will was atrophying for the want of language to nourish it.A gregarious single woman in her mid-thirties, she came to me feeling atrophied in her position with a major insurance company.The skills needed are mostly those which our schooling found useless and it has atrophied them without irreparably damaging them.
Origin atrophy (1600-1700) Late Latin atrophia becoming smaller or weaker, from Greek, from atrophos badly fed, from trephein to feed
at·ro·phy verbChineseSyllable
a the Corpus atrophies of part if body


atrophy
atrophy /ˈætrəfi/ verb (past tense and past participle atrophied, present participle atrophying, third person singular atrophies) [intransitive and transitive]
 Date: 1600-1700
 Language: Late Latin
 Origin: atrophia __becoming smaller or weaker__, from Greek, from atrophos __badly fed__, from trephein __to feed__
if a part of the body atrophies or is atrophied, it becomes weak because of lack of use or lack of blood:
    therapy to prevent the leg muscles from atrophying
—atrophy noun [uncountable]


at·ro·phyBrE /ˈætrəfi/ 🔊NAmE /ˈætrəfi/ 🔊 noun [uncountable] (medical 医学) the condition of losing flesh, muscle, strength, etc. in a part of the body because it does not have enough blood 萎缩(figurative, formal) The cultural life of the country will sink into atrophy unless more writers and artists emerge. 如果没有更多的作家和艺术家出现,这个国家的文化生活将衰退。🔊🔊
at·ro·phyBrE /ˈætrəfi/ 🔊NAmE /ˈætrəfi/ 🔊 verbpresent simple - I / you / we / they atrophy BrE /ˈætrəfi/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈætrəfi/ 🔊present simple - he / she / it atrophies BrE /ˈætrəfiz/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈætrəfiz/ 🔊past simple atrophied BrE /ˈætrəfid/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈætrəfid/ 🔊past participle atrophied BrE /ˈætrəfid/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈætrəfid/ 🔊 -ing form atrophying BrE /ˈætrəfiɪŋ/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈætrəfiɪŋ/ 🔊 [intransitive] if a part of the body atrophies, it becomes weak because it is not used or because it does not have enough blood 萎缩;衰退patients whose muscles have atrophied肌萎缩症患者(figurative) Memory can atrophy through lack of use. 记忆力不常使用就会衰退。🔊🔊 at·ro·phied BrE /ˈætrəfid/ 🔊NAmE /ˈætrəfid/ 🔊 adjectiveatrophied muscles萎缩的肌肉atrophied religious values淡化的宗教价值观念