Alveolitis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A pathological state marked by the inflammation of tiny air sacs in the lungs, which can result in breathing complications
2. An illness signified by the swelling of lung alveoli, leading to potential respiratory distress and gas exchange impairment
3. A condition involving irritation and swelling of the small air sacs in the lungs that can affect breathing efficiency

Etymology: Alveolitis is a medical term built from two parts: "alveol-", the combining form of "alveolus," a small hollow sac, and "-itis," the suffix meaning inflammation. The "alveolus" is itself a diminutive of Latin "alveus," a hollow or trough, so the word's core image is of tiny cavities, here the air sacs deep in the lungs where oxygen passes into the blood. Put together, the term describes inflammation of those air sacs. The suffix "-itis" follows the same pattern as "bronchitis" and "arthritis," which is why a reader who knows those words can decode this one at a glance. The same Latin-derived "alveolus" also gives English the word for the ridge of bone holding the teeth, which shows how one small hollow image spread across anatomy.