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iron lung
noun
: a device for artificial respiration in which rhythmic alternations in the air pressure in a chamber surrounding a patient's chest force air into and out of the lungs
Examples of iron lung in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The process by which the iron lung functioned was simple and effective.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 10 Aug. 2023
Getting patients into and out of early iron lungs was cumbersome.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 10 Aug. 2023
There are incredible health care institutions here adding to a long string of greatest hits — from the discovery of anesthesia to the iron lung to the first successful organ transplant.
—Scott Kirsner, BostonGlobe.com, 28 May 2023
Instead of being imprisoned by the medical device that keeps him alive, the man in the iron lung has used it as a springboard to thrive.
—David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Nov. 2021
This includes one of the first batches of the polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk in 1955 and specialized syringes and vaccination cards from that era, as well as an authentic iron lung machine, multiple artificial hearts and an extensive selection documenting the fight against AIDS.
—Ashraf Khalil, Star Tribune, 9 Mar. 2021
No one’s in an iron lung.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN, 22 Aug. 2022
Tools such as the iron lung saved thousands of polio victims’ lives when the disease caused respiratory failure.
—Christian Millman, Discover Magazine, 22 Oct. 2019
Those who survived the virus might be left using crutches, confined to a wheelchair, or needing an iron lung.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 12 Dec. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'iron lung.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1930, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near iron lung
Cite this Entry
“Iron lung.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iron%20lung. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.
Kids Definition
iron lung
noun
: a device for artificial respiration in which the air pressure in a chamber surrounding a patient's chest changes in a rhythm and forces air into and out of the lungs
Medical Definition
iron lung
noun
: a device for artificial respiration in which rhythmic alternations in the air pressure in a chamber surrounding a patient's chest force air into and out of the lungs especially when the nerves governing the chest muscles fail to function because of polio
called also Drinker respirator
More from Merriam-Webster on iron lung
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about iron lung
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