ASBESTOS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does asbestos mean? 

• ASBESTOS (noun)
  The noun ASBESTOS has 1 sense:

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

  Familiarity information: ASBESTOS used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ASBESTOS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("asbestos" is a kind of...):

amphibole (a mineral or mineral variety belonging to the amphibole group)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "asbestos"):

chrysotile (a grey or green fibrous mineral; an important source of commercial asbestos)

tremolite (a white or pale green mineral (calcium magnesium silicate) of the amphibole group used as a form of asbestos)

Holonyms ("asbestos" is a member of...):

amphibole group (a group of minerals with similar crystal structures containing a silicate chain and combinations of chiefly sodium and calcium and magnesium and iron and aluminum)

 Context examples 

A lung disease caused by breathing in particles of asbestos (a group of minerals that take the form of tiny fibers).

(Asbestosis, NCI Dictionary)

A lung disorder caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers.

(Asbestosis, NCI Thesaurus)

A naturally occurring, fibrous and silky, serpentine asbestos mineral with a color ranging from gray-white to yellow-green and is the most abundant and widely-used form of asbestos.

(Chrysotile Asbestos, NCI Thesaurus)

A disorder affecting the lungs due to asbestos exposure.

(Asbestos-Related Lung Disorder, NCI Thesaurus)

A carcinoma arising in the lung due to exposure to asbestos.

(Asbestos-Related Lung Carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)

A lot of people say they don't want to wait until it's too late to react, like with the asbestos, or tobacco.

(Health threats caused by mobile phone radiation, EUROPARL TV)

An occupation that involves the extraction of asbestos from naturally-occurring silicate deposits.

(Asbestos Mining, NCI Thesaurus)

Crocidolite asbestos is a known human carcinogen.

(Crocidolite Asbestos, NCI Thesaurus)

Most people who get it have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles.

(Mesothelioma, NIH: National Cancer Institute)

Exposure to asbestos particles in the air increases the risk of developing malignant mesothelioma.

(Mesothelioma, NCI Dictionary)