lung

American  

[luhng] / lʌŋ /

noun

• lungs
  plural

1. either of the two saclike respiratory organs in the thorax of humans and the higher vertebrates.

2. an analogous organ in certain invertebrates, as arachnids or terrestrial gastropods.

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idioms

1. at the top of one's lungs, as loudly as possible; with full voice.

   The baby cried at the top of his lungs.

lung British  

/ lʌŋ /

noun

1. either one of a pair of spongy saclike respiratory organs within the thorax of higher vertebrates, which oxygenate the blood and remove its carbon dioxide

2. any similar or analogous organ in other vertebrates or in invertebrates

3. in one's loudest voice; yelling

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lung Scientific  

/ lŭng /

1. Either of two spongy organs in the chest of air-breathing vertebrate animals that serve as the organs of gas exchange. Blood flowing through the lungs picks up oxygen from inhaled air and releases carbon dioxide, which is exhaled. Air enters and leaves the lungs through the bronchial tubes.

2. A similar organ found in some invertebrates.

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lung More Idioms  

1. see at the top of one's lungs.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• half-lunged
  adjective
• lunged
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• lungs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lung

before 1000; Middle English lungen, Old English; cognate with German Lunge; akin to light ², lights

Explanation

A lung is an internal organ that makes it possible for you to breathe. Your lungs remove carbon dioxide from your body while sending oxygen into your blood stream. All vertebrates — animals with a spinal column — have lungs. Humans have two of them, and they're what makes your chest rise and fall as you breathe in and out. They're also the organs that keep you breathing, and therefore alive. Lung, by way of the Old English lungen, comes from an Indo-European root that literally means "the light organ."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lung lungs

Her husband Basianus Cak was being treated on the hospital's third floor for a heart and lung condition and diabetes.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

Experts later determined she suffered from severe anemia; blood clots in both wings and one kidney; liver and lung abnormalities; and inadequate bone marrow response.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

The ex-military lawyer, who is being treated for lung cancer, will serve the rest of his sentence in the community under supervision.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Her pulmonologist and his team wrote several letters, some of which included charts to show how a combination of Pulmozyme and other therapies had helped prevent lung and sinus infections for Noonan.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

I’ve never seen an iron lung, but the newspapers had pictures of children in iron lungs, back when people still got polio.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

That's when cold water can cause a sudden heart attack by increasing your heart rate, or making you gasp for breath and inhaling water directly into the lungs, leading to drowning.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Preliminary testing showed significant fluid around the cub’s heart and some congestion of the lungs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

The measurement reflects how efficiently the heart, lungs, and muscles work together to deliver and use oxygen.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026

In early July, Lukwago likened his continued detention to "a death sentence" as he had chronic health problems affecting notably his lungs and spine.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

The rejection comes back, full force, knocking the breath out of my lungs.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison