Atrophying

also, atrophia
[uh-troh-fee-uh] /əˈtroʊ fi ə/ (show ipa). pathology. a wasting away of the body or of an organ or part, as from defective nutrition or nerve damage.
degeneration, decline, or decrease, as from disuse:
he argued that there was a progressive atrophy of freedom and independence of thought.
to affect with or undergo atrophy.
historical examples

because i’d like to see if the atrophying of your brain has furnished any compensations.
the guarded heights wadsworth camp

nevertheless, seen in the perspective of history, they are survivals, atrophying and disappearing.
appearances goldsworthy lowes d-ckinson

noun (pl) -phies
a wasting away of an organ or part, or a failure to grow to normal size as the result of disease, faulty nutrition, etc
any degeneration or diminution, esp through lack of use
verb -phies, -phying, -phied
to waste away or cause to waste away
n.

“a wasting away through lack of nourishment,” 1620s (atrophied is from 1590s), from french atrophie, from late latin atrophia, from greek atrophia “a wasting away,” noun of state from atrophos “ill-fed, un-nourished,” from a- “not” + trophe “nourishment,” from trephein “to fatten” (see -trophy).
v.

1822 (implied in atrophied), from atrophy (n.). related: atrophying.

atrophy at·ro·phy (āt’rə-fē)
n.
a wasting or decrease in the size of an organ or tissue, as from death and reabsorption of cells, diminished cellular proliferation, pressure, ischemia, malnutrition, decreased function, or hormonal changes. also called atrophia. v. at·ro·phied, at·ro·phy·ing, at·ro·phies
to undergo atrophy.
a·troph’ic (ā-trŏf’ĭk) adj.
atrophy
(āt’rə-fē)
a wasting or decrease in the size of an organ or tissue, as from death and reabsorption of cells, diminished proliferation of cells, pressure, lack of oxygen, malnutrition, decreased function, or hormonal changes.
atrophy [(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.

note: 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.”