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

One trial is seeking to discover whether the drug metformin, which has been approved for decades to treat diabetes, could help prevent lung cancer in people who are overweight and at high risk of the disease, said Dr. Seema Khan, a professor of surgery at Northwestern and a cancer researcher. —Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 23 June 2025

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is caused by poor lung growth and lung injury, according to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. —Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 21 June 2025

In 2020, Indiana had a lung cancer rate of 72.5 per 100,000 people, with Lake County as one of the state’s counties with the highest cancer mortality rates, according to the American Lung Association. —Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025

Chrysotile asbestos, also known as white asbestos, is banned in 50 countries because of its association with lung cancer, and in 2024, the Biden administration finalized its own ban, meaning the last type of asbestos used in or imported into the country would be prohibited. —Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025

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