asbestos, asbestus, as best on, tasbest

[In Ger. & Fr. asbeste; Sp. & Port. asbesto; Lat. asbestos; Gr. ἄσβεστος ( asbestos ), as s. (see def.); as adj. = unquenched, unquenchable: a, priv., and σβεστός ( sbestos ) = quenched; from σβέσω ( sbesō ) = first fut. of σβέννυμι ( sbennumi ) = to quench.] * I. Among the ancients: 1. Quicklime. quicklime, which is named (says Procopius, 1. 11., σ. 27) τίτανος ( titanos ) by the ancients; by the moderns άσβεστος (asbestos)."-Gibbon: Decl. & Fall. Note under ch. xli. By moderns, of course, Procopius means the men of his own time, viz., the sixth century A.D. 2. The mineral described under II. 1. II. Now ( Mineralogy ): 1. A variety of Hornblende, which itself is cla ed by Dana as a synonym or subdivision of Amphibole. He says that the several varieties of Amphibole, and notably Tremolite and Actinolite, when they have little alumina in their composition, tend to become fibrous, in which case they are called Asbestos. Haüy regarded the fibres as rhomboidal prisms. As the etymology imports, asbestos is exceedingly infusible, at least in a ma . It contains a considerable percentage of magnesia in its composition. It occurs in many localities in Britain and elsewhere, mostly in serpentine districts. The varieties are (a) Amianthus, in which the fibres are so exceedingly long, flexible, and elastic, that they may be woven into cloth. [AMIANTHUS.] (b) Common Asbestos , with the fibres much le flexible. It is heavier than the first variety. It is dull green, sometimes pearly in lustre, and unctuous to the touch. (c) Mountain Cork , light enough to float on water. (d) Mountain Leather, also very light, but thinner and more flexible than the last. *(e) Mountain Paper , a designation formerly given to fine thin specimens of Mountain Leather. (f) Mountain Wood , which, in the external aspect, resembles dry wood. 2. The fibrous varieties of Pyrocene. It is difficult to distinguish these from the former. Blue Asbestos : [CROCIDOLITE]. as best on-stone, s. [ASBESTOS.]