asbestos

American  

[as-bes-tuhs, az-] / æsˈbɛs təs, æz- /

Or asbestus

noun

1. Mineralogy. a fibrous mineral, either amphibole or chrysotile, formerly used for making incombustible or fireproof articles.

2. a fabric woven from asbestos fibers, formerly used for theater curtains, firefighters' gloves, etc.

3. Theater. a fireproof curtain.

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asbestos British  

/ -təs, æsˈbɛstɒs /

noun

1. 1. any of the fibrous amphibole and serpentine minerals, esp chrysotile and tremolite, that are incombustible and resistant to chemicals. It was formerly widely used in the form of fabric or board as a heat-resistant structural material

   2. ( as modifier )

      asbestos matting

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asbestos Scientific  

/ ăs-bĕs′təs /

1. Any of several fibrous mineral forms of magnesium silicate. Asbestos is resistant to heat, flames, and chemical action. Some forms have been shown to cause lung diseases. For this reason, asbestos is no longer used to make insulation, fireproofing material, and brake linings.

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Other Word Forms

• asbestine adjective
• asbestoid adjective
• asbestoidal adjective
• asbestous adjective
• nonasbestine adjective

Etymology

Origin of asbestos

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin, from Greek: literally, “unquenched, inextinguishable” from a- a- ⁶ + sbestós “quenched, extinguished” (from sbennýnai “to quench”); replacing Middle English asbeston, albeston, from Middle French, from Latin

Example Sentences

He began gaining renown as a lawyer in an era when asbestos cases were swamping the U.S. courts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

He won a jury verdict of about $115 million in 1998 for 21 steelworkers who fell ill after using machinery that contained asbestos.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Under the bill, however, insurers would be required to cover testing for lead, asbestos and other contaminants that have been found in soot, char and ash inside homes after a wildfire.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

"An illness can take several decades to develop, as we saw with asbestos," Lenssens said, adding his clients' properties in the area also stood to lose value.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

Or maybe up in the asbestos ceiling tiles.

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt