lung
The word evokes a sense of vital necessity and fragility. It is heavily associated with the rhythmic, involuntary act of survival, often carrying a heavy medical or biological weight in conversation. In a clinical setting, it is a neutral anatomical term, but in a literary or emotional setting, it often symbolizes the breath of life or the suffocating feeling of anxiety. Because it is an internal organ, the word is rarely used in casual conversation unless discussing health, sports performance, or injury. It carries a visceral quality, reminding the speaker of the physical mechanics of existing and the vulnerability of the human body to environmental toxins or disease.
Countable when referring to the individual anatomical organs in the chest. Uncountable when referring to the tissue or the general respiratory system.
Meanings
The primary organ of respiration in humans and most other vertebrates, consisting of a pair of spongy, elastic tissues that facilitate the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air and the blood.
"The doctor listened to the patient's lung capacity using a stethoscope."
Examples
The doctor listened to the patient's lung capacity using a stethoscope.