firedamp
Americannoun
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a combustible gas consisting chiefly of methane, formed especially in coal mines, and dangerously explosive when mixed with certain proportions of atmospheric air.
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the explosive mixture itself.
noun
Etymology
Origin of firedamp
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
OKD will now switch to processing purchased coal and producing heat using firedamp -- methane gas produced by coal-mining.
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
The blast was believed to have been caused by firedamp, a term referring to methane in coal mines.
From Reuters • Nov. 1, 2022
Energy Minister Fatih Durmaz said preliminary assessments indicated the tragedy was caused by a firedamp explosion — when methane mixes with air and fire — creating a dangerous underground situation.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 16, 2022
Again, the ensuing inquest blamed it on firedamp spreading throughout the workings.
From BBC • Nov. 8, 2017
“When a lamp burns with a blue haze you know there’s firedamp in the air.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
