pərˌkɛrBased on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
hyperkeratosis (ˌhaɪpəˌkɛrəˈtəʊsɪs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| pathol overgrowth and thickening of the outer layer of the skin | |
| hyperkeratotic | |
| —adj | |
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
| given to using long words. |
| 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. |
hyperkeratosis hy·per·ker·a·to·sis (hī'pər-kěr'ə-tō'sĭs)
n. pl. hy·per·ker·a·to·ses (-sēz)
Hypertrophy of the cornea or the horny layer of the skin. Also called hyperkeratinization.
hy'per·ker'a·tot'ic (-tŏt'ĭk) adj.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
hyperkeratosis
in cattle, a disease characterized by inflammation and thickening of the horny covering of the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Other symptoms include weight loss, wartlike swellings in the mouth, drooling, and a runny nose. Severely afflicted animals usually die. Although once attributed to a virus, the disease is now known to be caused by the ingestion of feed contaminated with chlorinated naphthalene, a lubricant used to grease feed mills. The term hyperkeratosis is also used to describe the hypertrophy of the corneous layer of the human skin.
Learn more about hyperkeratosis with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Cite This Source
