Asbestine

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having the qualities of asbestos, such as being fibrous, incombustible, or made from the mineral
2. Made of or resembling asbestos, the fibrous mineral once widely used for its resistance to heat
3. Relating to or consisting of asbestos, a fibrous silicate mineral valued for fireproofing and insulation

Etymology: "Asbestine" is an adjective meaning resembling asbestos or made of it, and it is built simply by adding the suffix "-ine" to "asbestos." That suffix, which comes from Latin "-inus" and means "of or relating to," is the same one found in words like "canine" and "feline," so the new word means roughly "of the nature of asbestos." The base word has a more striking history. "Asbestos" comes from Greek "asbestos," meaning "inextinguishable" or "unquenchable," formed from "a-," meaning "not," and "sbennynai," meaning "to quench." The Greeks valued the mineral because it resisted fire, and the name described that quality rather than the stone itself.