asbestos
8 dictionary results for: asbestos
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
as·bes·tos 
[as-bes-tuhs, az-] Pronunciation Key
—Related forms
[as-bes-tuhs, az-] Pronunciation Key –noun
| 1. | Mineralogy. a fibrous mineral, either amphibole or chrysotile, formerly used for making incombustible or fireproof articles. |
| 2. | a fabric woven from asbestos fibers, formerly used for theater curtains, firefighters' gloves, etc. |
| 3. | Theater. a fireproof curtain. |
Also, as·bes·tus.
[Origin: 1350–1400; < L < Gk: lit., unquenched, equiv. to a- a-6 + sbestós (sbes- var. s. of sbennýnai to quench + -tos ptp. suffix); r. ME asbeston, albeston < MF < L]
] —Related forms
as·bes·toid, as·bes·toi·dal, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| as·bes·tos
(ās-běs'təs, āz-) Pronunciation Key
n. Either of two incombustible, chemical-resistant, fibrous mineral forms of impure magnesium silicate, used for fireproofing, electrical insulation, building materials, brake linings, and chemical filters. adj. Of, made of, or containing one or the other of these two mineral forms. [Middle English asbestus, from Latin asbestos, mineral or gem, from Greek, mineral or gem, unslaked lime, from asbestos, unquenchable : a-, not; see a-1 + sbennunai, sbes-, to quench.] as·bes'tine (-tĭn), as·bes'tic (-tĭk) adj. |
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
asbestos
asbestos
1387, fabulous stone, which, when set afire, would not be extinguished; from O.Fr. abeste, from L. asbestos "quicklime" (which "burns" when cold water is poured on it), from Gk. asbestos, lit. "inextinguishable," from a- "not" + sbestos, verbal adj. from sbennynai "to quench," from PIE base *gwes- "to quench, extinguish" (cf. Lith. gestu "to go out," O.C.S. gaso, Hittite kishtari "is being put out"). Meaning "mineral capable of being woven into incombustible fabric" is from 1607; earlier this was called amiant (1420), from L. amiantus, from Gk. amiantos "undefiled" (so called because it showed no mark or stain when thrown into fire). Pliny was the first to make the error of calling this asbestos. Supposed in the Middle Ages to be salamanders' wool. Prester John, the Emperor of India, and Pope Alexander III were said to have had robes or tunics made of it.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
| asbestos | |
noun | |
| a fibrous amphibole; used for making fireproof articles; inhaling fibers can cause asbestosis or lung cancer |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| asbestos
(ās-běs'təs) Pronunciation Key
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.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
asbestos as·bes·tos or as·bes·tus (ās-běs'təs, āz-)
n.
Either of two incombustible, chemical-resistant, fibrous mineral forms of impure magnesium silicate, used for fireproofing, electrical insulation, brake linings, and chemical filters. adj.
Of, made of, or containing one or the other of these two mineral forms.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This
asbestos jargon
Used as a modifier to anything intended to protect one from flames; also in other highly flame-suggestive usages. E.g., asbestos longjohns, asbestos cork award.
[The Jargon File]
(1996-02-06)
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
Jargon File - Cite This Source - Share This
asbestos
adj. [common] Used as a modifier to anything intended to protect one from flames; also in other highly flame-suggestive usages. See, for example, asbestos longjohns and asbestos cork award.
Jargon File 4.2.0
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