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hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian you have here. The definition of the word
hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
An extension of sesquipedalian using a modified form of hippopotamus and Latin monstrum, with the extensions almost certainly chosen with the intention of making the new construct autological.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˌhɪpəˌpɒtəˌmɒnstɹəˌsɛskwɪpɪˈdeɪlɪən/
Adjective
hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian (comparative more hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian, superlative most hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian)
- Of or pertaining to extremely long words.[1]
1997, Steven George Krantz, A primer of mathematical writing:To indulge in hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian tergiversation is not to show your erudition: rather, it is to be superficial.
2005, Greg Vaughn, Fred Holmes, Letters from Dad:And when it comes to language, short, simple words often have more impact and power than multisyllabic, hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian ones.
2006, Richard Lederer, Word Wizard: Super Bloopers, Rich Reflections, and Other Acts of Word Magic:[…] a forty-five-letter hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian word for black lung disease.
References
- ^ Mrs. Byrne (1979) “hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian”, in Mrs. Byrne’s Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure and Preposterous Words: Gathered from Numerous and Diverse Authoritative Sources, London: Granada Publishing, →ISBN.