asbestos
Pronunciation: /azˈbɛstɒs, as-, -təs/
noun
- a highly heat-resistant fibrous silicate mineral that can be woven into fabrics, and is used in brake linings and in fire-resistant and insulating materials.
- fabric containing asbestos.
- The asbestos minerals include chrysotile ( white asbestos) and several kinds of amphibole, notably amosite ( brown asbestos) and crocidolite ( blue asbestos). The danger to health caused by breathing in highly carcinogenic asbestos particles has led to more stringent control of its use
Origin:
early 17th century, via Latin from Greek asbestos 'unquenchable' (applied by Dioscurides to quicklime), from a- 'not' + sbestos (from sbennumi 'quench')