lung Meaning & Definition
What Does Lung Mean?
Lung is a noun that means one of the usually paired compound saccular thoracic organs that constitute the basic respiratory organs of an air-breathing vertebrate. It can also mean any of various respiratory organs of invertebrates.
Lung in Brief
| Part of speech | noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈləŋ/ |
| Plural | lungs |
Lung Definition (Noun)
- one of the usually paired compound saccular thoracic organs that constitute the basic respiratory organs of an air-breathing vertebrate
- any of various respiratory organs of invertebrates
- a device enabling individuals abandoning a submarine to rise to the surface
- a mechanical device for regularly introducing fresh air into and withdrawing stale air from the lung : respirator compare iron lung
Synonyms of Lung
The source does not list synonyms for this entry.
Lung synonyms and antonyms →Lung in a Sentence
He no longer has the lungs to play long rallies like he used to.
He hasn't the lungs to play long rallies like he use to.
Word Forms & Grammar
lung·ful noun
lung
lungful
lungfuls
lungs
lungsful
lung (plural lungs)
Words That Rhyme With Lung
Origin of Lung
Origin 1: Middle English lunge, from Old English lungen; akin to Old High German lungun lung, līhti light in weight light
Origin 2: From Middle English lunge, longe, from Old English lungen, from Proto-Germanic *lunganjō, an enlargement of *lungô (“the light organ, lung”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lengʷʰ-, whence ultimately also light. Cognate with West Frisian long, Dutch long, German Lunge, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk lunge, Swedish lunga, Icelandic lunga, and also Russian лёгкое (ljóxkoje) (lung), Ancient Greek ἐλαφρός (elaphrós, “light in weight”) and perhaps Albanian lungë (“blister, bulge”). Compare Latin levis and Old English lēoht (Modern English light). See also lights (“lungs”). Superseded non-native Middle English pomoun (“lung”), borrowed from Old French poumon, pomon (“lung”).
First Known Use
before 12th century