A stone-like deposit that forms inside the bronchial tubes of the lungs, usually made of calcium or other minerals.
From Greek 'bronchos' (windpipe) + 'lithos' (stone). The term combines the anatomical term for airways with the medical suffix for mineral deposits, first used in the 1800s to describe calcified material found in lung passages.
Broncholiths can form when the lungs are exposed to certain minerals or when there's inflammation over a long time, and they're so rare that when doctors find one, it often makes medical journals because it's unusual enough to be worth publishing.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.