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at the top of one's lungs

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Of your lung
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lung

  [luhng]
Use at the top of one's lungs in a Sentence
–noun
1. either of the two saclike respiratory organs in the thorax of humans and the higher vertebrates.
2. an analogous organ in certain invertebrates, as arachnids or terrestrial gastropods.
—Idiom
3. at the top of one's lungs, as loudly as possible; with full voice: The baby cried at the top of his lungs.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME lungen, OE; c. G Lunge; akin to light 2 , lights

Related forms:
lunged  [luhngd] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Of your lung
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Word Origin & History

lung 
O.E. lungen (pl.), from P.Gmc. *lungw- (cf. O.N. lunge, O.Fris. lungen, M.Du. longhe, Ger. lunge "lung"), lit. "the light organ," from PIE *lengwh- "not heavy, light, easy, agile, nimble" (cf. Rus. lëgkij, Pol. lekki "light;" Rus. lëgkoje, Pol. lekkie "lung," Gk. elaphros "light" in weight; see also lever). Cf. Port. leve "lung," from L. levis "light;" Ir. scaman "lungs," from scaman "light;" Welsh ysgyfaint "lungs," from ysgafn "light." See also lights.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: lung
Pronunciation: 'l&[ng]
Function: noun
1 a : one of the usually two compound saccular organs that constitute the basic respiratoryorgan of air-breathing vertebrates, that normally occupy the entire lateral parts of the thorax and consist essentially of an inverted tree of intricately branched bronchioles communicating withthin-walled terminal alveoli swathed in a network of delicate capillaries where the actual gaseous exchange of respiration takes place, and that in humans are somewhat flattened with a broad baseresting against the diaphragm and have the right lung divided into three lobes and the left into two lobes b : any of various respiratory organs of invertebrates
2 : a mechanical device for regularly introducing fresh air into and withdrawing stale air from the lungs : RESPIRATOR —see IRON LUNG —lunged adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

lung (lŭng)
n.
Either of the two saclike organs of respiration that occupy the pulmonary cavity of the thorax and in which aeration of the blood takes place. It is common for the right lung, which is divided into three lobes, to be slightly larger than the left, which has two lobes.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
lung   (lŭng)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. Either of two spongy organs in the chest of air-breathing vertebrate animals that serve as the organs of gas exchange. Blood flowing through the lungs picks up oxygen from inhaled air and releases carbon dioxide, which is exhaled. Air enters and leaves the lungs through the bronchial tubes.

  2. A similar organ found in some invertebrates.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Idioms & Phrases

at the top of one's lungs

Also, at the top of one's voice. With an extremely loud voice. For example, The babies in the nursery all were crying at the top of their lungs. The noun top here refers to the greatest degree of volume (that is, loudest) rather than high pitch, a usage dating from the mid-1500s.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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