Definition of "tremolite" [trem•o•lite]

• A white to dark gray amphibole mineral, Ca2Mg5Si8O22(OH)2, typically occurring in aggregates and used as a substitute for asbestos and in paints and ceramics. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Libby vermiculite is contaminated with an especially toxic form of naturally-occurring asbestos called tremolite-actinolite asbestiform mineral fibers."
• "Tightly bound chrysolite, amphibole and tremolite fibres are completely safe and their manufacture and export strictly controlled, in theory, under the Hazardous Products and Environmental Protection Acts."
• "The group published its findings and documented the appearance of small amounts of tremolite, a type of asbestos fiber, through testing by three separate laboratories."