asbestos
/æzˈbestɒs/noun
mass noun
1- a highly heat-resistant fibrous silicate mineral that can be woven into fabrics, and is used in brake linings and other fire-resistant and insulating materials石棉。
1.1
- fabric containing such a mineral石棉纤维。
The asbestos minerals include chrysotile （white asbestos） and several kinds of amphibole, notably amosite （brown asbestos） and crocidolite （blue asbestos）. The danger to health caused by breathing in highly carcinogenic asbestos particles has led to more stringent control of its use.
词源
early 17th cent., via Latin from Greek asbestos 'unquenchable' (applied by Dioscurides to quicklime)， from a- 'not' + sbestos （from sbennumi'quench'）.