Is 'lung' ever used as a verb?

No, 'lung' is not a standard verb. The similar-sounding word 'lunge' is a verb meaning to make a sudden forward movement.

What is the difference between 'pulmonary' and 'lung'?

'Lung' is the common noun for the organ. 'Pulmonary' is the formal medical adjective meaning 'relating to the lungs' (e.g., pulmonary artery, pulmonary disease).

Why do we say 'a pair of lungs'?

Because humans and many animals have two lungs, so they are naturally referred to as a pair, similar to 'a pair of eyes' or 'a pair of hands'.

Can you live with only one lung?

Yes, it is possible to live with one healthy lung, although physical capacity may be reduced. This is sometimes necessary due to disease or donation.

lung

UK/lʌŋ/US/lʌŋ/

Neutral

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

One of the two main organs in the chest, used for breathing.

A conceptual space for breathing or air exchange; a vital organ for a system's function.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

Primarily a concrete, anatomical noun. Can be used metaphorically to refer to something essential for 'breathing' or vitality (e.g., 'the lungs of the city').

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant lexical differences. Spelling and pronunciation are standard.

Connotations

Identical in both varieties.

Frequency

Equally common in both varieties.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

healthy lungdamaged lunglung capacitylung tissuelung cancerlung diseaselung functionleft lungright lung

medium

fill the lungscollapse of a lungtransplant a lunginfection in the lungblack lung

weak

deep into the lungspain in the lungweak lungs

Grammar

Valency Patterns

have + a + ADJ + lung (He has a healthy lung.)suffer from + lung + NOUN (She suffers from lung disease.)ADJ + lung + VERB (His damaged lung collapsed.)

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

bellows (archaic/metaphorical)

Neutral

respiratory organpulmonary organ

Weak

breathing apparatusair sacs

Vocabulary

Antonyms

N/A (No direct antonym for a body part)

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“at the top of one's lungs (shouting very loudly)”
“have a good pair of lungs (to have a loud voice, especially a baby's cry)”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Rare, except in healthcare, insurance, or pharmaceutical contexts (e.g., 'lung drug trial').

Academic

Common in medical, biological, and public health texts.

Everyday

Common in discussions of health, illness, smoking, and exercise.

Technical

Core term in anatomy, pulmonology, and physiology.

Examples

By Part of Speech

adjective

British English

The lung specialist is called a pulmonologist.
He underwent lung surgery last week.

American English

The lung doctor is called a pulmonologist.
She is part of a lung cancer study.

Examples

By CEFR Level

We breathe air into our lungs.
Smoking is bad for your lungs.

The doctor listened to his lungs with a stethoscope.
She has an infection in her left lung.

The pollution in the city felt like an attack on my lungs.
After the marathon, his lungs were burning for air.

The new research focuses on regenerating damaged lung tissue.
The rainforests are often described as the lungs of the planet.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think of 'LUNGS' as the 'LUNGS' of your body, like two large spongy bags that 'LUNGE' for air with every breath.

Conceptual Metaphor

LUNGS ARE BELLOWS / LUNGS ARE SPONGES / LUNGS ARE FILTERS.

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

The Russian word 'лёгкое' is a neuter noun (одно лёгкое), while 'lung' has no gender in English.
Avoid calquing phrases like 'on the lung' for 'в лёгком'; use 'in the lung'.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect plural: 'lungs' (correct) vs. 'lunges' (incorrect; that is a type of exercise).
Misspelling as 'long'.
Using 'pulmonary' as a direct noun synonym in everyday speech (it's an adjective).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

After years of smoking, he was diagnosed with a serious disease.

Multiple Choice

In the metaphor 'the lungs of the city', what does 'lungs' most likely refer to?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: No, 'lung' is not a standard verb. The similar-sounding word 'lunge' is a verb meaning to make a sudden forward movement.
: 'Lung' is the common noun for the organ. 'Pulmonary' is the formal medical adjective meaning 'relating to the lungs' (e.g., pulmonary artery, pulmonary disease).
: Because humans and many animals have two lungs, so they are naturally referred to as a pair, similar to 'a pair of eyes' or 'a pair of hands'.
: Yes, it is possible to live with one healthy lung, although physical capacity may be reduced. This is sometimes necessary due to disease or donation.