Main Entry:

em·phy·se·ma

Pronunciation:

\ˌem(p)-fə-ˈzē-mə, -ˈsē-\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

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

Date:

1661

: 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