emphysema

em·phy·se·ma

noun \ˌem(p)-fə-ˈzē-mə, -ˈsē-\

Definition of EMPHYSEMA

: a condition characterized by air-filled expansions of body tissues; specifically : a condition of the lung marked by abnormal enlargement of the alveoli with loss of pulmonary elasticity that is characterized especially by shortness of breath and may lead to impairment of heart action

— em·phy·se·ma·tous \-ˈze-mə-təs, -ˈse-, -ˈzē-, -ˈsē-\ adjective

— em·phy·se·mic \-ˈzē-mik, -ˈsē-\ adjective

Origin of EMPHYSEMA

New Latin, from Greek emphysēma, from emphysan to inflate, from em- ²en- + physan to blow, from physa breath — more at pustule

First Known Use: 1661

Rhymes with EMPHYSEMA

diastema, Hiroshima, Iwo Jima, Matsushima, terza rima