lung

One of the two organs in your chest that fill with air when you breathe.

• Smoking can damage your lungs.
• The doctor listened to her left lung.
• He filled his lungs with fresh air.

Common phrases: lung cancer, lung disease, left lung

A place with trees or plants that provides fresh air for a surrounding area.

• The park is the city’s green lung.
• These forests serve as lungs for the region.
• Developers threatened a vital green lung outside town.

How to use it: the lung of somewhere (The forest is the lung of the city.)

Common phrases: green lung, lung of something

The ability to breathe strongly enough for hard physical activity, usually spoken of in the plural.

• You need strong lungs for this climb.
• He has the lungs to sing all evening.
• She no longer has the lungs for long races.

How to use it: the lungs for something (He has the lungs for a long swim.); the lungs to do something (She has the lungs to shout across the field.)

Similar words: stamina, breath

Common phrases: strong lungs, lungs for something