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

To visualize microscopic asbestos fibers in talcum powder, he brought a bale of hay into a courtroom and dropped a needle into the blades.

From The Wall Street Journal

That bill would apply to homes, schools and workplaces — and their properties — requiring insurers to meet existing health standards for lead and asbestos cleanup, while having the state develop additional ones for other contaminants.

From Los Angeles Times

A group of Scottish women have launched legal action against Johnson & Johnson accusing the firm of selling them talcum powder contaminated with asbestos.

From BBC

We set it up by the rostrum on a square of asbestos.

From Literature

A trial using proton beams to try to treat a cancer caused mainly by exposure to asbestos has been described as offering "realistic hope" to patients.

From BBC