farmer's lung

American  

noun

1. a lung disorder caused by inhalation of moldy hay dust, marked by shortness of breath, dry cough, and weight loss.

---

farmer's lung British  

noun

1. inflammation of the alveoli of the lungs caused by an allergic response to fungal spores in hay

---

Etymology

Origin of farmer's lung

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

When he was 10, his family moved from the cottage to subsidized housing in Cassington after his father contracted chronic farmer’s lung, which is caused by inhaling too much dust and mold from crops.

From New York Times

Other forms of hypersensitivity pneumonitis include “farmer’s lung” , “bagpiper’s lung”, “paprika slicer’s lung” and even “mummy-handler’s lung”, reflecting the wide range of activities that have been linked to breathing in substances that can cause serious lung inflammation.

From The Guardian