Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
Part of Speech: n
Definition: fear of long words
I loved the irony of the word and its meaning. I did a little research on the word, and while some sources claim it is a fake word, if Webster's says its a word, that's good enough for me.
And the runner ups...
Testanator takes second with pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
/ˈnumənoʊˌʌltrəˌmaɪkrəˌskɒpɪkˈsɪlɪˌkoʊvɒlˌkeɪnoʊˌkoʊniˈoʊsɪs, ˈnyu-/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [noo-muh-noh-uhl-truh-mahy-kruh-skop-ik-sil-i-koh-vol-key-noh-koh-nee-oh-sis, nyoo-] Show IPA Pronunciation
–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.
I love this word. I also love antidisestablishmentarianism. I learned that one in 7th grade.
I loved the mention of antidisestablishmentarianism, a word I would fear if i had Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (ahhh applying the vocab words already!).
And in third place, JAG with uvula
Uvula
(pronounced /ˈjuːvjələ/) is the conic projection from the posterior edge of the middle of the soft palate, composed of connective tissue containing a number of racemose glands, and some muscular fibers (musculus uvulae).[1]. It is frequently confused with the epiglottis[1] and the tonsils.
Just to show that size is not the only thing that matters when it comes to vocabulary words, it's what you learn from them. I always wondered what that hanging thing was called. Now I know.
This is not the end! Keep learning and expanding your vocabulary with the word of the day.
Thank you to all who participated! Keep an eye out for the next Smart people love free stuff contest.
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2 comments:
I object to the winning words.
1. the competition was entitled "smart people have large vocabularies," not "smart people can find long words in dictionaries." Medical dictionaries are full of long words, as are the packages of many food products. Long≠more interesting. (at least in terms of words).
2. while you post "uvula" as a measly third place (the most common word in there!), and while the first place word...well, while its an old joke it is in the dictionary (although 1. i'm dubious that thats actually a part of anyone's vocabulary? 2. websters also lists THIS as a dictionary word and
THIS as a legal pronunciation, and 3. i wonder if just about anything from HERE might not have easily also placed). but the second place word? its a LUNG DISEASE. unless the person who posted that is a doctor who specializes in lung diseases and posted that off the top of his/her head, how is that word any different than any of the other things you might get out of a dictionary or off the ingredients list on a twinky box?
3. you had "spanghew" as an option, a word that means "to cause a toad or frog to go flying into the air." of all of the entries-- tell me that's not awesome. the fact that that word did not place is a crime.
4. that is all. :)
Patient: So doctor, what do I have?
Doctor: Well Sir, it's never easy to say this...
Patient: Oh my god, oh my god...
Doctor: You have Pneumo... Pneumonoultra... Pneumonoultramicro... Pneumonoultramicroscopicsi... Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis!
Patient: Ah.
Doctor: I told you it's not easy to say this.
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