mofette

or mof·fette

[moh-fet; French maw-fet]

noun

a noxious emanation, consisting chiefly of carbon dioxide, escaping from the earth in regions of nearly extinct volcanic activity.
one of the openings or fissures from which this emanation issues.

Origin of mofette

1815–25; < French < Italian moffetta (Neapolitan mufeta), equivalent to muff(a) (Upper Italian mofa) mould (< Langobardic; compare German Muff mould, late Middle High German müffeln to give off a foul smell) + -etta -etta

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British Dictionary definitions for mofette

mofette

noun

an opening in a region of nearly extinct volcanic activity, through which carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and other gases pass

Word Origin for mofette

C19: from French, from Neapolitan Italian mofeta; compare dialect German muffezen to smell fetid

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