emphysema

 
Pronunciation: /ˌɛmfɪˈsiːmə/

noun

[mass noun] Medicine
  • 1 (also pulmonary emphysema) a condition in which the air sacs of the lungs are damaged and enlarged, causing breathlessness: smoking can lead to serious lung diseases such as emphysema
  • 2a condition in which air is abnormally present within the body tissues.

Origin:

mid 17th century (in emphysema (sense 2)): via late Latin from Greek emphusēma, from emphusan 'puff up'