asbestos

or as·bes·tus

[ as-bes-tuh s, az- ]
/ æsˈbɛs təs, æz- /

noun

Mineralogy. a fibrous mineral, either amphibole or chrysotile, formerly used for making incombustible or fireproof articles.
a fabric woven from asbestos fibers, formerly used for theater curtains, firefighters' gloves, etc.
Theater. a fireproof curtain.

Origin of asbestos

1350–1400; < Latin < Greek: literally, unquenched, equivalent to a- a-6 + sbestós ( sbes- variant stem of sbennýnai to quench + -tos past participle suffix); replacing Middle English asbeston, albeston < Middle French < Latin

OTHER WORDS FROM asbestos

as·bes·tine [as-bes-tin, az-] /æsˈbɛs tɪn, æz-/, as·bes·tous, adjective as·bes·toid, as·bes·toi·dal, adjective non·as·bes·tine, adjective

Words nearby asbestos

asat, asb, asb., asben, asbestoid, asbestos, asbestos body, asbestos cement, asbestosis, asbjörnsen, asbm

Example sentences from the Web for asbestine

  • Other silicates of magnesia used for paper-making are agalite and asbestine, the latter being a finely ground asbestos.

    The Manufacture of Paper |Robert Walter Sindall

  • It is generally used with lighter pigments, such as asbestine, in order to prevent settling.

    Paint Technology and Tests |Henry A. Gardner

  • This pigment comes in two forms: as asbestine and as talcose (talc, etc.).

    Paint Technology and Tests |Henry A. Gardner

British Dictionary definitions for asbestine

asbestos
/ (æsˈbɛstɒs, -təs) /

noun

  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

Derived forms of asbestos

asbestine, adjective

Word Origin for asbestos

C14 (originally applied to a mythical stone the heat of which could not be extinguished): via Latin from Greek: from asbestos inextinguishable, from a- 1 + sbennunai to extinguish

Medical definitions for asbestine

asbestos
[ ăs-bĕs′təs, ăz- ]

n.

Either of two incombustible, chemical-resistant, fibrous mineral forms of impure magnesium silicate, formerly used for fireproofing, electrical insulation, brake linings, and chemical filters but now banned because it causes pleural mesothelioma and asbestosis.

adj.

Of, made of, or containing one or the other of these two mineral forms.

Scientific definitions for asbestine

asbestos
[ ăs-bĕs′təs ]

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.