silicosis

noun

sil·​i·​co·​sis ˌsi-lə-ˈkō-səs 

: pneumoconiosis characterized by massive fibrosis of the lungs resulting in shortness of breath and caused by prolonged inhalation of silica dusts

silicotic

ˌsi-lə-ˈkä-tik 

adjective or noun

Examples of silicosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nearly half of those cases were identified last year alone, amid growing awareness of the silicosis epidemic. —Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2024

But a 2023 study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine found that workers exposed to dust from the stone, like those who install it, are in danger of developing silicosis. —Devika Rao, theweek, 17 June 2024

However, the effectiveness of these measures in preventing silicosis remains uncertain. —Anna Werner, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2024

Advertisement California embraces emergency rules to protect countertop workers from incurable silicosis Dec. 14, 2023 The work includes replacing signal relay technology that is about as old as Union Station itself. —Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from silica + -osis

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

silicosis

noun

sil·​i·​co·​sis ˌsil-ə-ˈkō-səs 

: a serious lung disease that is characterized by scar tissue in the lungs and shortness of breath and is caused by inhaling silica dusts for a long time

Medical Definition

silicosis

noun

sil·​i·​co·​sis ˌsil-ə-ˈkō-səs 

plural silicoses -ˌsēz 

: pneumoconiosis characterized by massive fibrosis of the lungs resulting in shortness of breath and caused by prolonged inhalation of silica dusts compare black lung, pneumoconiosis