A medical condition where part of the lung collapses because air cannot fill the tiny air sacs.
From Greek 'ateles' (incomplete) + 'ektasis' (expansion or dilation), combining roots meaning 'not fully expanded.' The term was coined in medical German as 'Atelectasie' in the 1800s to describe incomplete lung expansion.
Newborns sometimes experience atelectasis when they first take a breath—their lungs haven't fully expanded yet—which is why doctors monitor premature babies so carefully; it's literally a race between birth and the lungs opening up.
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