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emphysema

Emphysema is defined as a medical condition where there is air in body tissues or where the air sacs in the lungs are damaged in a way that causes shortness of breath.

(noun)

A medical condition caused by years of smoking that damages the air sacs in your lungs and makes breathing hard is an example of emphysema.

See emphysema in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

an abnormal swelling of body tissues caused by the accumulation of air; esp., such a swelling of the lung tissue, due to the permanent loss of elasticity, or the destruction, of the alveoli, which seriously impairs respiration
heaves

Origin: ModL < Gr emphysēma, inflation < emphysaein, to inflate, blow in < en-, in + physaein, to blow < IE *phus- < base *pu-, *phu-, echoic of blowing with puffed cheeks

Related Forms:

emphysematous adjective
emphysemic adjective, noun

See emphysema in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A pathological condition of the lungs marked by an abnormal increase in the size of the air spaces, resulting in labored breathing and an increased susceptibility to infection. It can be caused by irreversible expansion of the alveoli or by the destruction of alveolar walls.
An abnormal distention of body tissues caused by retention of air.

Origin:

Origin: Greek emphūsēma, inflation

Origin: , from emphūsān, to blow in

Origin: : en-, in; see en-²

Origin: + phūsān, to blow (from phūsa, bellows, bladder)

Related Forms: