The longest word in The Oxford English Dictionary. Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis In the whole history of language, no word of more than 30 letters has ever been so widely known.Īn adverb used in Mark McShane’s novel Untimely Ripped (1963)
This is a nonsense word invented for the movie Mary Poppins (1964). It means ‘the act of estimating as worthless’ and dates from 1741. This is the longest non-technical word in The Oxford English Dictionary. If I've got any of this wrong, Susie can put me right when I see her.
In a recent survey, the word voted the ‘most liked’ in the language was lullaby. It means beautiful thinking, and I think it is a rather beautiful word. The shortest English word that contains all the vowels is eunoia. Meanwhile, here's a bit of word play to amuse you on your way to work - or to sleep. I've stories to tell about each of them, which I must get round to one day. In the early days of the programme, in the 1980s, other Dictionary Corner regulars included Ted Moult, Kenneth Williams, Derek Nimmo, Ned Sherrin and Russell Harty. I've been a guest in Dictionary Corner many times - more times, I think, than anyone else. Next week I'm in Oxford doing a bit of filming for The One Show with my friend Susie Dent, the genius lexicographer who presides over Dictionary Corner on Countdown on Channel 4.