[AIR- 7.]
1. A bladder or sac filled with air in an animal or plant, as those in the fronds of sea-weeds and other floating plants; also, an ‘air-hole’ or vesicle in glass or cast-metal.
1731. Arbuthnot, Aliments, 27 (J.). The Pulmonary Artery and Vein pass along the surfaces of these Air-Bladders in an infinite number of Ramifications.
1769. Strange in Phil. Trans., LIX. 55. Globular appearances, like air-bladders.
1789. Lightfoot, Fl. Scot., II. 904. Bladder Fucus … In the disc or surface are immersed hollow sphærical or oval air-bladders.
1869. Eng. Mech., 15 Oct., 106/3. If too hot, it is liable to have air-bladders.
2. The swimming-bladder of fishes.
1691. Ray, Creation, 9 (J.). Though the Air-bladder in Fishes seems necessary for swimming, yet some are so form’d as to swim without it.
1772. Watson, Isinglass, in Phil. Trans., LXIII. 7. The sounds, or air-bladders of fresh-water fish.
1855. Owen, Vertebr., I. xi. (L.). The air-bladder is lined by a delicate mucous membrane.
