Meaning & use
wet lung
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Meanings
noununcountableinformal
An everyday name for a condition where extra fluid builds up in the lungs and makes breathing harder.
Grammar: Usually uncountable and used without 'a': he has wet lung, not 'a wet lung'.
Patterns
- have wet lung
- suffer from wet lung
The old farmer said his cough sounded like wet lung and he went to the clinic.
After the long illness, the nurse suspected wet lung and ordered an X-ray.
Climbers at high altitude can develop wet lung if they ascend too fast.
noununcountableinformalmedical
A newborn's temporary breathing trouble caused by fluid left in the lungs after birth.
Grammar: In this sense doctors usually say transient tachypnea; 'wet lung' is the parents' term.
Patterns
- the baby has wet lung
The baby was diagnosed with wet lung and kept in the hospital for observation.
Wet lung in newborns usually clears within a day or two.
Babies born by cesarean section are slightly more likely to have wet lung.
Common combinations
- have wet lung
- The baby seemed to have wet lung but recovered quickly.
- develop wet lung
- Some babies develop wet lung soon after birth.
- newborn wet lung
- Newborn wet lung often needs only oxygen.
- treat wet lung
- Doctors treat wet lung with extra oxygen and rest.
- symptoms of wet lung
- Fast breathing is one of the symptoms of wet lung.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pulmonary edema
- Pulmonary edema is the exact medical name for fluid in the lungs, while wet lung is a casual, less precise label.
- fluid on the lungs
- Fluid on the lungs is a plain phrase that explains the problem, while wet lung works as a name or label.
Word family
Commonly confused: wet lung or pleural effusion?
wet lung vs pleural effusion
Pleural effusion is fluid in the space around the lung rather than inside it, so it is a different condition from fluid in the lung itself.
Practice
The doctor explained that the newborn's fast breathing was caused by ______, extra fluid still in the lungs after birth.
Choose one answer.
Wet lung is the informal name for leftover fluid in a newborn's lungs. The other options are unrelated to breathing fluid.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wet lung”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.