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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.
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Origin of afterdamp

First recorded in 1855–60; after + damp
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for afterdamp

Historical Examples

  • 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

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