cavernous lungs

[Mher]

Hi, friends. What could "cavernous" mean in this context. Thesaurus.com brings some 20 synonyms, but I can't choose a suitable one.:-?
Here is the sentence where it is used:
"I endeavored to shriek; and my lips and my parched tongue moved convulsively together in the attempt — but no voice issued from the cavernous lungs, which, oppressed as if by the weight of some incumbent mountain, gasped and palpitated, with the heart, at every elaborate and struggling inspiration." (http://poestories.com/read/premature)
Maybe "deaf" or "tuneless" could be an option?

 

[Mrfatso]

It means cavelike in the simplest explanation of the meaning, but if you want to use a simple way to describe what Poe is trying to say, then large lungs or perhaps voluminous lungs is closer to what you need.

Deaf or Tuneless do not work, he is describing the fact that the lungs lack the ability to breathe due to the fear the protagonist of the story feels.

 

[Mher]

It means cavelike in the simplest explanation of the meaning, but if you want to use a simple way to describe what Poe is trying to say, then large lungs or perhaps voluminous lungs is closer to what you need.

Deaf or Tuneless do not work, he is describing the fact that the lungs lack the ability to breathe due to the fear the protagonist of the story feels.

I think voluminous is better, Mrfatso. Thank you.

 

[Bloomsbury]

Yes, voluminous.
Or "big" or "large" if you want to keep it simple!

 

[probus]

Capacious.

 

[Tdol]

It also suggests to me that the person would normally have been able to shriek very loudly because of this lung capacity.