"our baby will first expire of inanition, as being the frailest member of our circle;..."
An uncommon term for failure to grow, either from insuffient food intake, or from inabililty to metabolize it.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Definition: \In`a*ni"tion\, n. [F. inanition, L. inanitio
emptiness, fr. inanire to empty, fr. inanis empty. Cf.
{Inane}.]
The condition of being inane; emptiness; want of fullness, as
in the vessels of the body; hence, specifically, exhaustion
from want of food, either from partial or complete
starvation, or from a disorder of the digestive apparatus,
producing the same result.

Feeble from inanition, inert from weariness. --Landor.

Repletion and inanition may both do harm in two
contrary extremes. --Burton.

Oh, and we've just had some term up in which I wrote that the fruit's respiration rate was at its highest--and I can't recall what the dadburned term was! Must hunt for it tomorrow since we're still iced in from school.

But this inanition for no growth is very good. I suppose sometimes my students are inanitiated! Or they are inanitiates! [Just kidding. All my students grow like weeds!]

Interesting. I wonder whether there is a word to substitute for "failure to thrive" syndrome.

Dear Sparteye:Not quite what you were looking for, but an alternative:


Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Definition: \E*ma`ci*a"tion\, n. [Cf. F. ['e]maciation.]
1. The act of making very lean.

2. The state of being emaciated or reduced to excessive
leanness; an excessively lean condition.

I need to emaciate a little.

I need to emaciate a lot!