anthracosilicosis
|an-thra-co-si-li-co-sis|
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/ˌænθrəkoʊsɪˈlɪkoʊsɪs/
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/ˌænθrəkəʊsɪˈlɪkəʊsɪs/
combined coal-and-silica lung disease
Etymology
'anthracosilicosis' originates from Neo-Latin/modern medical coinage, specifically combining Greek 'anthrax' (ἀνθραξ) meaning 'coal' (as the combining form 'anthraco-') and Latin 'silex/silic-' meaning 'flint, silica', plus the Greek-derived suffix '-osis' meaning 'disease'.
'anthracosilicosis' was formed in modern medical/Neo-Latin usage by combining the established medical elements 'anthraco-' (from Greek anthrax) and 'silicosis' (from Latin/Neo-Latin silic- + Greek -osis) and was adopted into English medical terminology in the 19th–20th century as a compound describing mixed coal-and-silica lung disease.
Initially, the components denoted 'coal' and 'silica' and the suffix indicated a disease state; over time the compound has been used consistently to mean 'a pneumoconiosis caused by both coal dust and silica' and has maintained that technical meaning.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a form of pneumoconiosis (occupational lung disease) caused by the combined inhalation of coal dust (anthracotic dust) and crystalline silica; a mixed coal-and-silica lung disease.
After decades in the mine, he was diagnosed with anthracosilicosis due to prolonged exposure to coal dust and silica.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/25 06:16