pneu·mo·no·ul·tra·mi·cro·scop·ic·sil·i·co·vol·ca·no·co·ni·o·sis
[noo-muh-noh-uhl-truh-mahy-kruh-skop-ik-sil-i-koh-vol-key-noh-koh-nee-oh-sis, nyoo-] 
mə noun
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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
| Main Entry: | pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | supposedly the longest word in a dictionary, an artificial word said to mean a lung disease caused by the inhalation of silica dust |
00:10
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
has a plethora of syllables.
So is dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. Does it mean:
| the estimation of something as valueless (encountered mainly as an example of one of the longest words in the English language). |
| a white, crystalline, water-insoluble solid, C14H9Cl5, usually derived from chloral by reaction with chlorobenzene in the presence of fuming sulfuric acid: used as an insecticide and as a scabicide and pediculicide: agricultural use prohibited in the U.S. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
"A facetious word alleged to mean 'a lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silica dust' but occurring chiefly as an instance of a very long word." [OED]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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