Definition

Noun: 1. A respiratory organ: One of a pair of large, spongy, saclike organs located in the chest cavity of most vertebrates. Their primary function is to exchange gases: they remove carbon dioxide from the blood and provide it with oxygen from the inhaled air.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The doctor listened to her lung sounds with a stethoscope.
  • Smoking can cause severe damage to the lungs.
  • He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with fresh mountain air.

Advanced Usage

• "To have good lungs": An idiom meaning to have a powerful voice or strong breathing capacity.
  • The opera singer must have good lungs to sustain those long notes.
• "A breath of fresh air" (figurative, not directly using "lung"): While not containing the word "lung," this common idiom conceptually relates to the refreshing feeling of taking clean air into the lungs. It is often used metaphorically to describe something new and refreshing.

Variants and Related Words

• Pulmonary (adj): Relating to or affecting the lungs.
  • A pulmonary infection requires immediate medical attention.
• Lungful (n): As much air as the lungs can hold.
  • He drew in a lungful of the salty sea air.

Synonyms

• Respiratory organ: A more formal, technical term.
• (None are perfect synonyms): In common, non-technical language, "lungs" is the standard and specific term. "Chest" or "thorax" refer to the general area but not the organs themselves.

Related Phrases

• Lung capacity: The total amount of air the lungs can hold.
  • Athletes often have a high lung capacity.
• Lung disease: Any disease or disorder that affects the lungs.
  • Asthma is a common lung disease.

Related Idioms

• Scream/shout at the top of one's lungs: To shout or scream as loudly as possible.
  • The fans cheered at the top of their lungs when their team scored.
• Have a lung/heart/liver/etc. (in informal, often humorous complaints): Used to exaggerate a feeling of physical exhaustion or strain.
  • I ran so fast I thought I was going to cough up a lung!

Noun

1. either of two saclike respiratory organs in the chest of vertebrates; serves to remove carbon dioxide and provide oxygen to the blood