'asbestiform' originates from English, specifically by combining 'asbestos' (from Greek 'ἄσβεστος') and the suffix '-form' (from Latin 'forma'), where the Greek root 'ἄσβεστος' meant 'inextinguishable' and Latin 'forma' meant 'shape'.

'asbestos' came into English via Latin/Medieval Latin from Greek 'ἄσβεστος' ('asbestos'), and in modern scientific English the adjective 'asbestiform' was formed by adding the combining element '-form' (from Latin 'forma') to denote 'having the form of asbestos'.

Initially, the Greek-based word referred to the property 'inextinguishable' (of certain minerals when exposed to fire); over time, in modern usage 'asbestiform' evolved to mean specifically 'having the fibrous, asbestos-like form' rather than the broader sense of being inextinguishable.