asbestos

5 definitions found

asbestos - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Asbestus \As*bes"tus\, Asbestos \As*bes"tos\ (?; 277), n. [L.
     asbestos (NL. asbestus) a kind of mineral unaffected by fire,
     Gr. ? (prop. an adj.) inextinguishable; 'a priv. + ? to
     extinguish.] (Min.)
     A variety of amphibole or of pyroxene, occurring in long and
     delicate fibers, or in fibrous masses or seams, usually of a
     white, gray, or green-gray color. The name is also given to a
     similar variety of serpentine.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The finer varieties have been wrought into gloves and
           cloth which are incombustible. The cloth was formerly
           used as a shroud for dead bodies, and has been
           recommended for firemen's clothes. Asbestus in also
           employed in the manufacture of iron safes, for
           fireproof roofing, and for lampwicks. Some varieties
           are called amianthus. --Dana.

asbestos - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

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

asbestos - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  asbestos
  
     <jargon> Used as a modifier to anything intended to protect
     one from flames; also in other highly flame-suggestive
     usages.  E.g., asbestos longjohns, asbestos cork award.
  
     [Jargon File]
  
     (1996-02-06)
  

asbestos - Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003) :

  asbestos
   adj.
  
     [common] Used as a modifier to anything intended to protect one from
     flames; also in other highly flame-suggestive usages. See, for
     example, asbestos longjohns and asbestos cork award.
  

asbestos - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  43 Moby Thesaurus words for "asbestos":
     act drop, amianthus, asbestos board, asbestos curtain, backdrop,
     batten, border, cloth, coulisse, counterweight, curtain,
     curtain board, cyclorama, decor, drop, drop curtain, earth flax,
     fire break, fire curtain, fire line, fire resistance,
     fire retardant, fire wall, fireproofing, flat, flipper, hanging,
     mountain flax, rag, scene, scenery, screen, side scene,
     stage screw, tab, tableau, teaser, tormentor, transformation,
     transformation scene, wing, wingcut, woodcut