lunar hay fever

noun

A condition caused by irritation to the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs, from exposure to highly abrasive lunar dust.

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Meanings

nounlunar hay fever (uncountable)
  1. informaluncountableUS space programmedicineA condition caused by irritation to the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs, from exposure to highly abrasive lunar dust.

Origin

From lunar + hay fever. From having symptoms like hay fever, but occurring due to encounters with lunar contaminants. Coined by Harrison Schmitt in 1972, Apollo 17 astronaut and geologist, to describe the condition already previously encountered by earlier crews, and by his crew.

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Cite this entry
APA

lunar hay fever. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lunar%20hay%20fever

MLA

“lunar hay fever.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lunar%20hay%20fever. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lunar hay fever,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lunar%20hay%20fever.

Source: lunar hay fever on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.