Etymology

asbestos

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Today it means: 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. Full definition →

Classical Latin asbesto ← Ancient Greek ἄσβεστος (ásbestos) ← Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷes-der.?
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asbestos · noun, verb1

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  3. Proto-Hellenic*ə-
  4. Ancient Greekἀ- (a-)
  5. Proto-Indo-European*(s)gʷes-der.?
  6. Ancient Greekσβέννῡμι (sbénnūmi)
  7. Ancient Greekσβεστός (sbestós)
  8. Ancient Greekἄσβεστος (ásbestos)
  9. Classical Latinasbesto
  10. English todayasbestos

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.

Asbestos · proper noun2

  1. Old French · derived fromabestos
  2. English todayAsbestos

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)

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.