dystrophy
noun
Did you know?
Breaking Down Dystrophy
Since the prefix dys- means "bad" or "difficult", dystrophy is always a negative term. Originally it meant "a condition caused by improper nutrition", but today the term is instead used for a variety of other conditions, particularly conditions that noticeably affect the muscles. Of the many types of muscular dystrophy, the best known is Duchenne's, a terrible disease that strikes about one in 3,300 males and produces severe wasting of the muscles. However, the muscular dystrophies generally affect many other organs and systems as well. And the other dystrophies, which tend to involve the eyes or hands, don't much resemble the muscular dystrophies.
Examples of dystrophy in a Sentence
William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024
There are different variations, this one is type 4J. Something called congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 24 May 2023
The disease is also known as hereditary retinal dystrophy.
—Robert Hart, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023
Talkington was diagnosed with rod-cone dystrophy.
—New York Times, 1 July 2021
See all Example Sentences for dystrophy 
Cite this Entry
“Dystrophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dystrophy. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
dystrophy
noun
Lancet
Share