asbestos

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a commercial and legal name for a group of six naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals

   The geologist identified asbestos fibres in the rock sample.

2. 2
   noun

   a formerly common heat-resistant insulating or fireproofing material made from those mineral fibres

   Workers removed old asbestos from the building under strict safety controls.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Asbestos comes from Greek asbestos, meaning “unquenchable.” In English it first denoted a mythical stone that could not be extinguished once lit, perhaps through a distorted reference to quicklime and the heat it produces when wetted; in the 17th century the name was revived for the fibrous, fire-resistant mineral.

Through Latin and French from Greek asbestos, 'unquenchable' or 'inextinguishable,' formed from a-, 'not,' + sbennynai, 'to quench.' The name reflects the minerals' resistance to fire, a property that led to extensive use before the grave health risks of inhaled fibres were understood.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary