lung

noun

\ ˈləŋ

Definition of lung

1a : 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

2a : 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

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Examples of lung in a Sentence

He filled his lungs with the clean. fresh air.

Recent Examples on the Web

The air is light, thin and cold, and with each breath, your lungs try to grab whatever oxygen is available. — Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, "Everything you need to know to climb Mount Shasta ahead of a sensational summer season," 7 June 2019 An autopsy showed that both died when their lungs filled with fluid, leading to respiratory failure, according to a news release from the Dominican Republic’s National Police. — Washington Post, "3 Americans found dead in same Dominican Republic resort within 5 days," 5 June 2019 If the preciousness of life was at the core of their belief system, the anti-abortionists would be clamoring at the top of their lungs for sensible gun control laws. — J.d. Crowe | Jdcrowe@al.com, al.com, "Alabama roadkill: Women’s rights are GOP red dead meat," 3 June 2019 My small bike crunched into the hole, and all the air exploded out of my lungs. — Bill Hartford, Popular Mechanics, "My First Year on a Motorcycle," 15 Feb. 2019 The laboring of our lungs and the scrape of our boots were the loudest sounds. — Hillary Jordan, Outside Online, "Hillary Jordan on Her First Bear Encounter," 11 July 2018 The door swung open with a clunk and a screech, and cold clean air rushed into his lungs like the first breath after a storm. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "A transgender girl rises up against alien invaders in Rich Larson’s novel Annex," 8 July 2018 In King William's case, an arrow pierced his lung on August 2, 1100 in the New Forest and his nobles all fled. — Nancy Bilyeau, Town & Country, "The Real People Who Inspired Game of Thrones," 10 Apr. 2019 But that doesn’t necessarily fix the problem if their lungs can’t properly inhale, exhale, or transport oxygen and carbon dioxide through their respiratory system. — Korin Miller, SELF, "How Does Cancer Actually Kill Someone?," 15 Mar. 2019

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

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Last Updated

16 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for lung

The first known use of lung was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for lung

lung

noun

English Language Learners Definition of lung

: either one of the two organs that people and animals use to breathe air

See the full definition for lung in the English Language Learners Dictionary

lung

noun

\ ˈləŋ

Kids Definition of lung

: either of two organs in the chest that are like bags and are the main breathing structure in animals that breathe air

lung

noun

\ ˈləŋ

Medical Definition of lung

1a : 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