Definition of "silicosis" [silicosis]

• A disease of the lungs caused by continued inhalation of the dust of siliceous minerals and characterized by progressive fibrosis and a chronic shortness of breath. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Fortunately wafer production does not require large amounts of silicon, which is good because exposure to silicon in mines or factories at greater levels can lead to respiratory problems and an incurable lung disease known as silicosis."
• "This disease, known as silicosis or "mal de mines", is the most common occupational disease in mining."
• "An example is the enlargement and, at times, failure of the right ventricle which may appear in certain chronic pulmonary diseases, among them silicosis, which is a threat in certain occupations, and emphysema."