afterdamp

[ af-ter-damp, ahf- ]

noun
  1. an irrespirable mixture of gases, consisting chiefly of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, left in a mine after an explosion or fire.

Origin of afterdamp

1
First recorded in 1855–60; after + damp

Words Nearby afterdamp

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use afterdamp in a sentence

  • You know, it is a product of combustion, and is very deadly—it is the much-dreaded white damp or afterdamp of a mine explosion.

    The Silent Bullet | Arthur B. Reeve

British Dictionary definitions for afterdamp

afterdamp

/ (ˈɑːftəˌdæmp) /


noun
  1. a poisonous mixture of gases containing carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen formed after the explosion of firedamp in coal mines: See also whitedamp

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012