amianthus

American

[am-ee-an-thuhs] / ˌæm iˈæn θəs /

noun

Mineralogy.

a fine variety of asbestos, with delicate, flexible filaments.

amianthus British

/ ˌæmɪˈænθəs /

noun

any of the fine silky varieties of asbestos

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

amianthoid

adjective
amianthoidal

adjective
amianthine

adjective

Etymology

Origin of amianthus

1660–70; < Latin amiantus < Greek amíantos, equivalent to a- a- ⁶ + mian- (stem of miaínein to defile, make impure) + -tos verbal adjective suffix

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023