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

"Although asbestos was banned in 1999, it remains present in many public buildings across the UK and continues to cause serious illness and work-related deaths, including from the aggressive cancer, mesothelioma," she said.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

More asbestos has been discovered in Parliament, the BBC has learnt, as MPs come under pressure to sign off on a major revamp of the crumbling home of UK democracy.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

Crumbling masonry, ageing electrics, frequent leaks and high asbestos levels are some of the problems besetting the Palace of Westminster, parts of which are over 900 years old.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

After the 2025 fires, there were complaints by residents that the Fair Plan refused to test and remediate homes suffering damage by smoke, which can leave behind lead, asbestos and other toxins.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

He pulled the curtain and she saw the asbestos roll up like a giant’s shade.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

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