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  

/ æsˈbɛstɒs, -təs /

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

Explanation

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral used mainly in making fireproof material. Inhaling asbestos can cause health problems such as lung cancer. Have you ever heard about people removing asbestos from a building? That's because this material — which is a fibrous amphibole used because it's fireproof — has been found to be very bad for people's health when inhaled. If you inhale bits of asbestos, which flake off over time, you could get lung cancer, a disease caused asbestosis, or other respiratory problems. Like a lot of things, it took time for people to realize asbestos was doing more harm than good.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

asbestos

Had asbestos manufacturers announced in 1950 that their product might kill hundreds of thousands, no legislature would have said their owners should have limited liability.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

But in the meantime, the plant formerly known as Ilva has been ordered to shut off its blast furnaces by October 28 due to the presence of asbestos and illegal levels of fine airborne particles.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that is most often linked to asbestos exposure.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

The testing revealed that many homes were contaminated with unsafe levels of lead, asbestos, chromium, and other toxic substances, the county said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

We heard heavy pattering across the asbestos ceiling dies.

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt