asbestos

noun

as·​bes·​tos as-ˈbe-stəs 

az-

: any of several minerals (such as chrysotile) that readily separate into long flexible fibers, that cause asbestosis and have been implicated as causes of certain cancers, and that have been used especially formerly as fireproof insulating materials

Did you know?

A grayish mineral that separates readily into long, flexible fibers, asbestos was used in the past to make brake linings, insulation, roofing shingles, floor and ceiling tiles, cement pipes, and other building materials. Asbestos fabrics were used for safety apparel and theater curtains. In the 1970s, it was found that prolonged inhalation of the tiny asbestos fibers can cause asbestosis, lung cancer, and other serious lung diseases. In 1989, the US Government instituted a gradual ban on the manufacture, use, and export of most products made with asbestos.

Examples of asbestos in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Tenants of One Charles Center include Angelos’ law firm, renowned for representing victims of asbestos and tobacco, which was bought earlier this year by several of its senior attorneys, the Center for Architecture and Design, and other companies. —Jean Marbella, Baltimore Sun, 17 June 2024

In April, a jury awarded $45 million to the family of an Illinois woman who died in 2020 from mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos in J&J powder. —Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 11 June 2024

At a 1964 New York Academy of Sciences conference on asbestos, industry representatives agreed that the only way to prevent cancers caused by asbestos exposure was to eliminate that exposure. —Naomi Oreskes, Scientific American, 14 May 2024

Exposure to secondhand smoke, air pollution, asbestos, diesel exhaust, and radon, a radioactive gas with no smell or color that's typically found in rocks, soil and burning coal and fossil fuels, can also cause lung cancer, according to the ACS. —Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 22 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English albeston mineral supposed to be inextinguishable when set on fire, probably from Middle French abeston, from Medieval Latin asbeston, alteration of Latin asbestos, from Greek, unslaked lime, from asbestos inextinguishable, from a- + sbennynai to quench

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

asbestos

noun

as·​bes·​tos as-ˈbes-təs 

az-

: a grayish mineral that easily separates into long flexible fibers, that is used to make materials that are fireproof, do not conduct electricity, and are chemically resistant, and that can cause serious lung disease if inhaled as a dust

Medical Definition

asbestos

noun

as·​bes·​tos as-ˈbes-təs  az- 

: any of several minerals that readily separate into long flexible fibers, that cause asbestosis and have been implicated as causes of certain cancers, and that have been used especially formerly as fireproof insulating materials