pulmonary reserve

7.0

The extra air the lungs can use when you breathe hard

noun
/ˈpʌlməˌnɛri rɪˈzɜrv/

Specialized

: reserva pulmonar

After years of smoking, his pulmonary reserve was greatly reduced, making even mild exercise difficult.

Examples

Doctors measure a patient's pulmonary reserve before major surgery to assess how well their lungs can cope with stress.
Athletes often have a higher pulmonary reserve compared to non-athletes, allowing them to perform intense physical activities.
The pulmonary reserve is essential for athletes.
How can I improve my pulmonary reserve?
Athletes often have a higher pulmonary reserve compared to non-athletes, allowing them to perform intense physical activities.
Doctors measure a patient's pulmonary reserve before major surgery to assess how well their lungs can cope with stress.
After years of smoking, his pulmonary reserve was greatly reduced, making even mild exercise difficult.

Synonyms

vital capacity

vspulmonary reserve

Specialized

5.2

The most air you can breathe out after a full breath

refers to the extra usable air beyond normal breathing during stress

Surface Forms

pulmonary reserve singular

pulmonary reserves plural

Morphology

pulmonary + reserve

The phrase is a straightforward compositional combination: 'pulmonary' = related to the lungs and 'reserve' = an extra or stored capacity, so the meaning 'additional lung capacity available under stress' can be directly inferred from the constituents. This adj‑noun composition follows regular English formation and parallels constructions in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows the two words would readily understand it.

Etymology

The term pulmonary reserve comes from pulmonary meaning 'of the lungs' and reserve meaning an 'extra supply', so imagine your lungs holding a small extra tank of air you can pull from when you breathe very hard. That's why it means the extra amount of air the lungs can use when your body needs more air.