asbestos

2 definitions • 1 example

a soft, greyish-white material that does not burn, used especially in the past in buildings, clothing, etc. as a protection against fire and as a form of insulation (= a way of stopping heat from escaping)

a soft, gray-white material that does not burn and was used in buildings as a protection against fire, and as a form of insulation (= way of stopping heat from escaping):

Inhaling asbestos fibers can make you sick.