1
-ies, -ied
no obj.(of body tissue or an organ) waste away, especially as a result of the degeneration of cells, or become vestigial during evolution（身体组织或器官的）衰退, 萎缩; 退化：the calf muscles will atrophy
腿肚肌肉会萎缩
as adj. atrophied in some beetles, the hindwings are atrophied.有些甲虫的后翅退化了。
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- figurative gradually decline in effectiveness or vigour due to underuse or neglect〈喻〉（由于未充分利用或忽视而造成效力或活力的）逐渐衰退：
the imagination can atrophy from lack of use.
想象力不用会衰退。
派生词
atrophic
adjective词源
late 16th cent.: from French atrophier (verb)， atrophie (noun)， from late Latin atrophia, from Greek， 'lack of food'， from a- 'without' + trophē 'food'.