noun
- Plural of amianthus; a type of asbestos or asbestos-like fibrous mineral, historically used for fireproofing and insulation.
Usage: archaic; technical; mineral/geology term
Examples
- The museum's mineral collection included several specimens of amianthuses from the 19th century.
- Early industrial applications of amianthuses were common before the health risks of asbestos became widely known.
- Geologists studied the crystalline structure of various amianthuses to understand their thermal properties.