An accidental sucking in of food particles or fluids into the lungs. Can also mean removal of a sample of fluid and cells through a needle.

Aspiration as a medical procedure is the removal of fluid or tissue through a needle, called a needle biopsy.

Breathing in a foreign object (such as sucking food into the airway).

The term can also refer to a medical procedure that removes substances from an area of the body such as air, body fluids, or bone fragments.