pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

American  

[noo-muh-noh-uhl-truh-mahy-kruh-skop-ik-sil-i-koh-vol-key-noh-koh-nee-oh-sis, nyoo-] / ˈnu mə noʊˌʌl trəˌmaɪ krəˌskɒp ɪkˈsɪl ɪˌkoʊ vɒlˌkeɪ noʊˌkoʊ niˈoʊ sɪs, ˈnyu- /

noun

1. an obscure term ostensibly referring to a lung disease caused by silica dust, sometimes cited as one of the longest words in the English language.

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Usage

What does pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis mean? Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is a term for a lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust, as in I had trouble breathing and my doctor diagnosed me with pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. While pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is an actual medical term, most people will never hear a doctor (attempt to) say this absurdly long word. Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is an obscure term that some people claim to be one of the longest words in the English language. At an astounding 45 letters long, this massive word is longer than other ludicrously huge words, such as antidisestablishmentarianism and floccinaucinihilipilification. The tendency to use long words like pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is called sesquipedalianism. If you have some sesquipedalian tendencies yourself, you might enjoy our article “The Longest Words in the English Language.”Example: I watched a comedy show where the host asked an eighth grader to spell “pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.”

Etymology

Origin of pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

< New Latin; pneumono-, ultramicroscopic ( def. ), silica, volcano, pneumonoconiosis

Explanation

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is a made-up word that's inaccurately used to mean a lung disease caused by inhaling volcanic ash. Despite the fact that it doesn't have an authentic definition, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis sounds very impressive when you say it out loud! Leave it to a word puzzle expert to invent a word that still holds the honor of being the longest dictionary entry, at 45 letters. When National Puzzlers' League president Everett Smith coined pneumono­ultra­microscopic­silico­volcano­coniosis in 1935, he intended to create the longest word, using Greek and Latin roots meaning "lungs," "beyond," "small-looking," "silicon," "dust," "volcano," and "disease." It would be a good name for such an illness — but nobody's ever been diagnosed with silicosis caused by breathing volcanic dust.

Example Sentences

His favorite word, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, is “a disease caused by volcano ash,” he explained.

From Washington Post • May 29, 2019

A House of Commons spokeswoman said although Mr Bryan's use of pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis would not appear in Hansard, it would appear on the British Youth Council website.

From BBC • Jul. 31, 2017

Michael Bryan said the word pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis - a lung disease - at a Youth Select Committee meeting on 14 July.

From BBC • Jul. 31, 2017