pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
45 letters|/ˌnuːmənoʊˌʌltrəˌmaɪkrəˌskɑːpɪkˌsɪlɪkoʊvɒlˌkeɪnoʊkoʊniˈoʊsɪs/
extrememedical
Meaning
A lung disease caused by inhaling very fine ash and sand dust, especially from volcanoes.
Etymology
Coined in the 1930s from Greek roots: pneumono- (lung) + ultra- (beyond) + microscopic (extremely small) + silico- (silicon/sand) + volcano- (volcano) + coniosis (dust disease).
Usage
This word was deliberately created to be the longest English word, and it is recognized by Guinness World Records.
Pronunciation
/ˌnuːmənoʊˌʌltrəˌmaɪkrəˌskɑːpɪkˌsɪlɪkoʊvɒlˌkeɪnoʊkoʊniˈoʊsɪs/
Tags
medicallongestguinnessdisease