Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is that ever appeared in a major English dictionary word longest with 45 letters. It refers to the disease, which is known as fumed silica lung in Germany. See silicosis and pneumoconiosis.

The word was invented as a made-up word in 1935 by Everett M. Smith, president of the British National Puzzlers ' League, at their annual meeting. It was actually a hoax, which should only serve as the longest English word, but was later adopted by English doctors to refer to the pneumoconiosis.

Word Elements

The word consists of the following components:

• Pneumon is Greek for lung.
• Ultra is Latin for beyond. See also Ultra.
• Microscopic is from the Greek micros (small) and derived skopein ( consider ). See also -scope and microscope.
• Silico derived from the Latin silex (silica ). See also sand and silicon.
• Volcano is Latin and derives from Vulcan. See also volcano.
• Coniosis is derived from the Greek Konis ( dust) and osis for disease.