| The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002. |
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| atrophy |
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| (AT-ruh-fee) The wasting away or decrease in size of an organ or tissue in the body. When a body part is affected by paralysis, the muscles may atrophy through lack of use. | 1 |
| ‡ The term is also used in a more general way to refer to a wasting process: “Since he stopped playing, his piano skills have atrophied.” | 2 |
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| | | The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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