amianthus
[ am-ee-an-thuh s ]
/ ˌæm iˈæn θəs /
|
noun Mineralogy.
a fine variety of asbestos, with delicate, flexible filaments.
Nearby words
amharic, amherst, ami, amiable, amianthoid, amianthus, amic, amicable, amicable number, amice, amicheme
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
Related forms
am·i·an·thine [am-ee-an-thuh n, -thahyn] /ˌæm iˈæn θən, -θaɪn/, adjectiveam·i·an·thoid, am·i·an·thoi·dal, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for amianthus
What store of Amianthus there is in Cyprus; and how they work it?
The Chinese and the Corsicans blend the fibres of amianthus in their pottery to give it tenacity.
Medical Essays|Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
British Dictionary definitions for amianthus
amianthus
/ (ˌæmɪˈænθəs) /
noun
any of the fine silky varieties of asbestos
Derived Forms
amianthine, amianthoid or amianthoidal, adjectiveWord Origin for amianthus
C17: from Latin amiantus, from Greek amiantos unsullied, from a- 1 + miainein to pollute
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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