: lack of physiological tone especially of a contractile organ
Examples of atony in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebThe most common reason for postpartum hemorrhage is uterine atony, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).—Patia Braithwaite, SELF, 30 July 2019 Bleeding during or after childbirth: Uterine complications during or after childbirth, like when the organ doesn’t contract properly after the baby is out (this is known as uterine atony), can lead to severe hemorrhaging.—Zahra Barnes, SELF, 14 Feb. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'atony.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Late Latin atonia, from Greek, from atonos without tone, from a- + tonos tone
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