air sac

noun

Definition of air sac

1 : one of the air-filled spaces in the body of a bird connected with the air passages of the lungs

2 : alveolus sense 1b

3 : a thin-walled dilation of a trachea occurring in many insects

Examples of air sac in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web American Zoologist Horned screamers have air sacs under their skin that reduce the birds’ weight and help them glide long distances through the air. — National Geographic, "Horned screamer," 28 May 2020 As the air sacs are infected and damaged, this triggers the immune system, which can lead to a dangerous condition called a cytokine storm. — Mark Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, ""Something we've never seen before." Scientists still trying to understand baffling, unpredictable coronavirus," 16 May 2020 When those air sacs become clogged, the lungs stiffen up. — oregonlive, "Lung exercises can help prevent severe coronavirus illness, doctor says -- and JK Rowling claims they worked for her," 7 Apr. 2020 Ventilators not only help people breathe but also can provide pressure that holds the lungs open so the air sacs don’t collapse. — Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, "Taxpayers Paid Millions to Design a Low-Cost Ventilator for a Pandemic. Instead, the Company Is Selling Versions of It Overseas.," 30 Mar. 2020 The extra-large hyoid bones in their vocal tract house massive air sacs that amplify their bombastic voice to superlative heights; they are often regarded as the loudest of any land animal. — Jessica Boddy, Popular Science, "Ranked: the loudest sounds ever measured," 3 Feb. 2020 One is called organizing pneumonia, which is when the tiny airways and air sacs become inflamed. — Erika Edwards, NBC News, "Toxic metal, leached from e-cigarette coil, permanently scars woman's lung," 5 Dec. 2019 Peel off the shell, starting at the fatter end (where the air sac is). Dipping eggs under water will help. — NBC News, "How to make perfect (and easy to peel) boiled eggs every time," 19 Oct. 2019 Kheradmand suspects that vape solvents disrupt the ability of cells to recycle lung surfactant, an oil-protein substance that is required to keep the air sacs open. — BostonGlobe.com, "At least 15 incidents of lung injuries linked to vaping occurred prior to this year’s epidemic, a review by Bloomberg News found. The cases — spanning the globe from Guam to Japan to England to the United States — include reports of mysterious pneumonia and fatal bleeding from tiny air sacs.," 26 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'air sac.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about air sac

Dictionary Entries near air sac

air-sac disease

airs and graces

Statistics for air sac

Cite this Entry

“Air sac.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/air%20sac. Accessed 5 Mar. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for air sac

air sac

noun

Kids Definition of air sac

: one of the small pouches in the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged

air sac

noun

Medical Definition of air sac

: alveolus sense b

WORD OF THE DAY

abhor

Listen to the pronunciation of abhor

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Who Knew?

What is a ruelle?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ

Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ