asbestosis

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UK/ˈæs.bɛsˌtəʊ.sɪs/US/ˌæs.bɛsˈtoʊ.sɪs/

noun

A chronic, inflammatory lung disease caused by long-term, heavy exposure to asbestos.

OriginEnglish asbestos ← Classical Latin asbesto ← Ancient Greek ἄσβεστος (ásbestos) →
UncommonScrabble 12
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Meanings

nounasbestosis (countable and uncountable, plural asbestoses)

plural asbestoses

  1. countableuncountablemedicineA chronic, inflammatory lung disease caused by long-term, heavy exposure to asbestos.

Origin

  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. Englishasbestos
  11. Englishasbestosis

From asbestos + -osis.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Basque asbestosi
  • asbestosilung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
Catalan asbestosi
  • asbestosilung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
Chinese Mandarin 石棉肺
  • 石棉肺 (shímiánfèi)lung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
Czech azbestóza
  • azbestózalung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
Danish asbestose
  • asbestoselung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
Finnish asbestoosi, asbestipölykeuhko
  • asbestoosilung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
  • asbestipölykeuhkolung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
German Asbestose
  • Asbestoselung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
Greek ασβέστωση
  • ασβέστωση (asvéstosi)lung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
Hungarian azbesztózis
  • azbesztózislung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
Italian asbestosi
  • asbestosilung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
Lithuanian asbestozė
  • asbestozėlung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
Māori mate kiripaka
  • mate kiripakalung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
Polish azbestoza
  • azbestozalung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
Portuguese asbestose
  • asbestoselung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
Romanian asbestoză
  • asbestozălung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
Russian асбесто́з
  • асбесто́з (asbestóz)lung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
Spanish asbestosis
  • asbestosislung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
Swedish asbestos
  • asbestoslung disease caused by exposure to asbestos

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

sebostasis
Cite this entry
APA

asbestosis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/asbestosis

MLA

“asbestosis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/asbestosis. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “asbestosis,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/asbestosis.

Source: asbestosis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.