firedamp

[ fahyuh r-damp ]
/ ˈfaɪərˌdæmp /

noun Mining.

a combustible gas consisting chiefly of methane, formed especially in coal mines, and dangerously explosive when mixed with certain proportions of atmospheric air.
the explosive mixture itself.

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Origin of firedamp

First recorded in 1670–80; fire + damp

Words nearby firedamp

firebug, firebush, firecracker, firecracker flower, firecrest, firedamp, firedog, firedrake, firefight, firefighter, firefighting
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for firedamp

British Dictionary definitions for firedamp

firedamp
/ (ˈfaɪəˌdæmp) /

noun

a mixture of hydrocarbons, chiefly methane, formed in coal mines. It forms explosive mixtures with airSee also afterdamp
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