Chacham's Journal: Puzzle: Longest word by adding letters to existing words

Quick question I've been toying with. Starting with one letter, make a word. Then add a letter to make another word, and continue until there are no more words to make. What is the longest word you can make through this method?

For example. Start with "A".

a
ad
mad
made

Alternatively, start with a word.

UPDATE: When starting with a word, it is to find the longest chain of words. Not the longest word. :-)

start with a word?

[heliocentric]

Alternatively, start with a word.

You asked for it:

Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypo t ri mmatosilphiopar aomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperiste ralektryonopteke phalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygo n

Which then becomes:

Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypot ri mmatosilphiopar aomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperiste ralektryonopteke phalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygo ns

Re:start with a word?

[Chacham]

Um, when starting with a word, looking for the longest chain of words.... :-)

Re:start with a word?

[heliocentric]

ohhhh chain... I was just shooting for longest word... my deepest appologies.

here's a couple minutes of playing the game

[subgeek]

i
in
sin
sine
shine
shiner
shriner
shriners

if i get a notion i'll try another one.

Re:here's a couple minutes of playing the game

[Chacham]

Isn't Shriner a proper noun?

Also, I am looking for letters on the begining and the end, not the middle. Although, that may be another game. :-)

a
at
bat
bath
bathe
bather
bathers

i
in
win
wine
swine
swines

Re:here's a couple minutes of playing the game

[subgeek]

shriner is a proper noun. you weren't specific enough with the rules.

"swines" is not a word. the plural of swine is swine.

but it's an interesting passtime.

Re:here's a couple minutes of playing the game

[Chacham]

"swines" is not a word.

Oops? :-)

Re:here's a couple minutes of playing the game

[subgeek]

i can only make funs of you're post beczua i never make grammmar or speling errors. ;)

(all lies)