asbestos

English Online Dictionary. What means asbestos‎? What does asbestos mean?

English

Alternative forms

• asbestus (dated)

Etymology

From Old French abestos, from Latin asbestos, itself from Ancient Greek ἄσβεστος (ásbestos, “unquenchable, inextinguishable”), from ᾰ̓- (a-, “not”) + σβέννῡμῐ (sbénnūmi, “I quench, quell”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /æsˈbɛs.tɒs/, /æsˈbɛs.təs/, /æzˈbɛs.təs/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /æzˈbɛs.təs/

Noun

asbestos (countable and uncountable, plural asbestoses or (rare) asbesti)

1. (mineralogy) Any of several fibrous mineral forms of magnesium silicate, used for fireproofing, electrical insulation, building materials, brake linings, chemical filters, suits, fireman's gloves, etc.
2. (mineralogy) Any of asbestos-like forms of several minerals, asbestiforms
3. (colloquial, attributive) The supposed material composing part of the body that is impervious to heat, or by extension other unpleasant sensations; especially hot or spicy food.

Hyponyms

• (forms of magnesium silicate): serpentine: parachrysotile, amianthus, common asbestos, chrysotile
  • amphibole: blue asbestos, crocidolite, riebeckite; amosite, brown asbestos; crocidolite; tremolite/tremolite asbestos; actinolite/actinolite asbestos; anthophyllite/anthophyllite asbestos
• (asbestiform): richterite, winchite

Coordinate terms

• amianthus (a type of asbestos)

Derived terms

Translations

References

• “asbestos”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• asbestos on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Verb

asbestos (third-person singular simple present asbestoses, present participle asbestosing, simple past and past participle asbestosed)

1. To coat or line with asbestos.
2. To expose to asbestos; to cause to suffer asbestosis.
3. (figurative) To insulate or buffer.

Spanish

Noun

asbestos m pl

1. plural of asbesto

Swedish

Noun

asbestos c

1. asbestosis

Declension

Related terms

• asbest (“asbestos”)

References

• asbestos in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• asbestos in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)