black lung

noun

: pneumoconiosis caused by habitual inhalation of coal dust

Examples of black lung in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Roughly one in five miners in the Central Appalachia coalfields of West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia now have black lung disease, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Kris Maher, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2023 The bill is modeled after a compensation program for coal miners disabled by black lung disease, under the provisions of a 1969 law, Vasquez said. Morgan Lee, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Aug. 2023 Her husband John was diagnosed with black lung about a decade ago at 47. Leah Willingham and Matthew Daly, Anchorage Daily News, 25 July 2023 Manchin has repeatedly introduced bills to extend the excise tax by ten years, alongside other Democratic senators who represent states with large populations of former miners with black lung disease. Grace Segers, The New Republic, 19 Dec. 2021 While the archetypical example of this is the prevalence of black lung in coal miners, the paradigm holds water for autoimmune diseases too. Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 2 Dec. 2021 In short, even as black lung is getting worse for the miners, it’s become harder to claim health benefits and receive appropriate care because of new legislation. Abby Lee Hood, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Aug. 2021 The percentage of coal miners with the most severe type of progressive black lung disease has steadily risen over the last 20 years, and in recent years, severe black lung has been found in miners in their 30s and 40s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Elwyn Lopez, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2021 Everybody in my family died from black lung. BostonGlobe.com, 5 Aug. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'black lung.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of black lung was in 1837

Dictionary Entries Near black lung

Cite this Entry

“Black lung.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20lung. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

black lung

noun
: a disease of the lungs caused by the repeated breathing in of coal dust over a long time

called also black lung disease

Medical Definition

black lung

noun
: pneumoconiosis caused by habitual inhalation of coal dust

called also black lung disease

compare silicosis

More from Merriam-Webster on black lung

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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