hypertrophy

From French hypertrophie, from Ancient Greek ὑπέρ (hupér, “over, excessive”) + τροφή (trophḗ, “nourishment”), equivalent to hyper- +‎ -trophy.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /haɪˈpɜːtɹəfi/
• (US) IPA^(key): /haɪˈpɝːtɹəfi/

• Audio (US):

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hypertrophy (countable and uncountable, plural hypertrophies)

1. (countable, medicine) An increase in the size of an organ or tissue due to the enlargement of its individual cells.
   • 2010 January 29, Anita Woods et al., “Control of chondrocyte gene expression by actin dynamics: a novel role of cholesterol/Ror-α signalling in endochondral bone growth”, in Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine‎^[1], volume 13, →DOI:

     Ectopic chondrocyte hypertrophy has been demonstrated in OA, suggesting that the pathogenetical process involves a recapitulation of endochondral ossification [ 11 – 13 ].

2. (uncountable, bodybuilding) Increase in muscle size through increased size of individual muscle cells; a result of weightlifting, and other exercise. It differs from muscle hyperplasia, which is the formation of new muscle cells.

• atrophy
• hypotrophy

• hyperplasia

hypertrophy (third-person singular simple present hypertrophies, present participle hypertrophying, simple past and past participle hypertrophied)

1. (intransitive, of a tissue or organ) To increase in size.

   Antonym: atrophy

2. (by extension) To enlarge or extend.
   • 2020 January 29, Douglas Groothuis, “Texts, Graphics, and Culture: On the Decline of Reading and Civilization”, in Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D.: Christian Philosopher and Apologist‎^[2], archived from the original on 27 January 2023:

     But when text hypertrophies into a riot of contending inscripturations, we lose too much of what matters most in writing.

   • 2020, Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life, page 76:

     Like a well-exercised muscle, 'network' has hypertrophied into a master concept.