What does "lung" mean?
A biological organ of vertebrates that controls breathing and oxygenates the blood.
Lung
/ˈlʌŋ/ name, noun
name, noun ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A biological organ of vertebrates that controls breathing and oxygenates the blood.
- Grammar: lung is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abdomen, anus, appendix, bellows.
- Useful contrasts: branchia, ctenidium, gill.
- Usage evidence: Smokers are far more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers are.
How to use "lung"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lung" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lung" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lung" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lung" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lung" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abdomen" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lung", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A biological organ of vertebrates that controls breathing and oxygenates the blood.
"I made a speaking trumpet of my hands and commenced to whoop “Ahoy!” and “Hello!” at the top of my lungs. […] The Colonel woke up, and, after asking what in brimstone was the matter, opened his mouth and roared “Hi!” and “Hello!” like the bull of Bashan."
- 2 either of two saclike respiratory organs in the chest of vertebrates; serves to remove carbon dioxide and provide oxygen to the blood wordnet
- 3 Capacity for exercise or exertion; breath. in-plural
"He no longer has the lungs to play long rallies like he used to."
- 4 That which supplies oxygen or fresh air, such as trees, parklands, forest, etc., to a place.
"Afterwards he found that the vague feeling of alarm had spread to the clients of the underground railway, and that the Sunday excursionists began to return from all the South-Western "lungs" - Barnes, Wimbledon, Richmond Park, Kew, and so forth - at unnaturally early hours[.]"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Antonyms
Example
"Smokers are far more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers are."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lung"?
Common synonyms include: abdomen, anus, appendix, bellows, blind gut, bowels.
How do you use "lung" in a sentence?
Smokers are far more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers are.
How do you pronounce "lung"?
Pronounced /ˈlʌŋ/.
Etymology
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 lunge, Norwegian 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”).