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

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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

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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

When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can become trapped in the lungs, where they trigger chronic inflammation that may eventually lead to cancer decades later.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

“My constituents shouldn’t have to walk back into homes with lead and asbestos because an insurance company won’t pay for the test that would prove it’s there,” she added.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

I opened a can of corned-beef hash and patted it into a disposable dish and set it on an asbestos pad over a low flame, to heat very slowly.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

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