lung

noun

ˈləŋ 

1

a

: one of the usually paired compound saccular thoracic organs that constitute the basic respiratory organs of an air-breathing vertebrate

b

: any of various respiratory organs of invertebrates

2

a

: a device enabling individuals abandoning a submarine to rise to the surface

b

: a mechanical device for regularly introducing fresh air into and withdrawing stale air from the lung : respirator compare iron lung

lungful

ˈləŋ-ˌfu̇l 

noun

Examples of lung in a Sentence

He filled his lungs with the clean. fresh air.

Recent Examples on the Web

The visit also comes just weeks after Leo, who was diagnosed with cancer, had surgery to remove a tumor on his lung. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2026

Moderna is currently conducting nine clinical trials involving intismeran in melanoma, kidney, gastric, lung, and pancreatic cancer, as well as an early-phase study testing it alone, without a checkpoint inhibitor, in Stage I lung cancer. — Time, 12 Nov. 2026

Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among men in the US, behind only lung cancer, and diagnoses have been on the rise. — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2026

Prince Rainier died at age 81 in April 2005 while being treated for heart, kidney and lung issues at a hospital, per NBC News. — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 12 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English lunge, from Old English lungen; akin to Old High German lungun lung, līhti light in weight — more at light

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing lung

• black lung
• book lung
• brown lung
• farmer's lung
• heart-lung machine
• iron lung
• small-cell lung cancer

Rhymes for lung

• bling
• bung
• clung
• dung
• flung
• fung
• hung
• rung
• slung
• sprung
• strung
• stung

Kids Definition

lung

noun

ˈləŋ 

1

a

: one of the usually paired organs forming the special breathing structure of vertebrates that breathe air

b

: any of various respiratory organs of invertebrates

2

: a device (as an iron lung) to promote breathing and make it easier

Medical Definition

lung

noun

ˈləŋ 

1

a

: one of the usually two compound saccular organs that constitute the basic respiratory organ of air-breathing vertebrates, that normally occupy the entire lateral parts of the thorax and consist essentially of an inverted tree of intricately branched bronchioles communicating with thin-walled terminal alveoli swathed in a network of delicate capillaries where the actual gaseous exchange of respiration takes place, and that in humans are somewhat flattened with a broad base resting against the diaphragm and have the right lung divided into three lobes and the left into two lobes

b

: any of various respiratory organs of invertebrates

2

: a mechanical device for regularly introducing fresh air into and withdrawing stale air from the lungs : respirator see iron lung

lunged adjective