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asbestos

noun · verb

Simple meaning

A fibrous amphibole.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

asbehstuhs

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

æsˈbɛstəs

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. mineralogy

    A fibrous amphibole; used for making fireproof articles; inhaling fibers can cause asbestosis or lung cancer

  2. mineralogy

    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.

  3. mineralogy

    Any of asbestos-like forms of several minerals, asbestiforms

  4. colloquialattributive

    The supposed material composing part of the body that is impervious to heat, or by extension other unpleasant sensations; especially hot or spicy food.

  5. Former name of Val des Sources: a town in Asbestos, Estrie, Quebec, Canada.

  6. Former name of Les Sources: a regional county municipality of Eastern Townships, Quebec, Canada.

verb

  1. figurative

    To insulate or buffer.

  2. To expose to asbestos; to cause to suffer asbestosis.

  3. To coat or line with asbestos.

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: A fibrous amphibole; used for making fireproof articles; inhaling fibers can cause asbestosis or lung cancer

Used this way, asbestos is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a scientific use: it names something precisely within a field of study, so it appears in research and teaching more than in conversation.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Specialist/technical
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Specialized
Connotation
Clinical and technical
Usage feel
Technical and specialized

Where it naturally appears

  • Science
  • Academic writing
  • Technical/specialist writing

Usage note

In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use asbestos

  • “Many old buildings still contain asbestos, posing health risks to workers.”

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.