Join free

asbestos

English · Español · Français · Thesaurus

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

asbestos¹

  • /æsˈbɛs.tɒs/ UK
  • /æsˈbɛs.təs/ UK
  • /æzˈbɛs.təs/ UK
  • /æsˈbɛs.təs/ US
  • /æz-/ US
  • /əs-/ US
  • /əz-/ US
  • /-toʊs/ US

Where it comes from

Learned borrowing from Classical Latin asbestos, borrowed from Ancient Greek ἄσβεστος (ásbestos), from ἀ- (a-) + σβεστός (sbestós). Compare Middle English asbestus and Old French abestos.

noun asbestoses · asbesti · asbestus

  1. countable, uncountable Any of several fibrous mineral forms of magnesium silicate, used for fireproofing, electrical insulation, building materials, brake linings, chemical filters, suits, fireman's gloves, etc. All types of asbestos are potentially carcinogenic when inhaled.
  2. countable, uncountable Any of asbestos-like forms of several minerals, asbestiforms
  3. attributive, colloquial, countable, uncountable The supposed material composing part of the body that is impervious to heat, or by extension other unpleasant sensations; especially hot or spicy food. She sipped the coffee; she always did have asbestos lips.

verb asbestoses · asbestosing · asbestosed · asbestus

  1. To coat or line with asbestos. “Be sure you have plenty of kindling before you begin. They are rather non-inflammable and well asbestosed, so to speak.”
  2. To expose to asbestos; to cause to suffer asbestosis. Lungs asbestosed / unable to breath^([sic]) / and so incapable / of producing for profit / sent away without delay / so a fresh lunged / could occupy / the vacant place.
  3. figuratively To insulate or buffer. Is Malcolm J. Miller’s South Carolina Sinking Fund partly immune, partly asbestosed, or what?

Asbestos²

Where it comes from

From asbestos, from Old French abestos.

* (Asbestos, Quebec): Named by the Royal Mail for the asbestos mines the mining settlement was setup for, when Canada was still a colony of Britain. The county was named for the town.

* (Asbestos, Russia): English for the Russian term for asbestos, асбест (asbest)

proper noun

  1. Former name of Val des Sources: a town in Asbestos, Estrie, Quebec, Canada.
  2. Former name of Les Sources: a regional county municipality of Eastern Townships, Quebec, Canada.
  3. alternative Alternative spelling of Asbest; A town in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Ural, Russia.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: amosite, crocidolite, chrysolite, chrysotile, anthophyllite, amphibole, fibered, platinized, tremolite, actinolite, serpentine, lagging, fireproofing, amianthus, amiantus, rockwool

Translations

Every language

noun any of several fibrous mineral forms of magnesium silicate

Españolasbesto, amianto
한국어석면 seongmyeon, 애스베스터스 aeseubeseuteoseu
日本語石綿, アスベスト asubesuto
中文石棉 shímián
Kiswahiliasbestosi
Portuguêsasbesto, amianto
Françaisamiante
DeutschAsbest
Italianoasbesto, amianto
Ελληνικάαμίαντος amíantos
Românăazbest
Русскийасбе́ст asbést
Tiếng Việtmiăng, amiăng
العربيةأَسْبِسْتُوس ʔasbistus, أَسْبِسْت ʔasbist, أَمْيانْت ʔamyānt
עבריתאזבסט azbést

name Asbestos, Quebec

FrançaisAsbestos

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"asbestos." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/asbestos. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

asbestos. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/asbestos

Chicago

"asbestos." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/asbestos.

BibTeX
@misc{asbestos_2026,
  title = {asbestos},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/asbestos},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}