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.

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.

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