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mofette

or mof·fette

[ moh-fet; French maw-fet ]
/ moʊˈfɛt; French mɔˈfɛt /
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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.
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Origin of mofette

First recorded in 1815–25; from French, from Italian moffetta (Neapolitan mufeta ), equivalent to muff(a) (Upper Italian mofa ) “mold” (from Langobardic; compare German Muff “mold,” late Middle High German müffeln “to give off a foul smell”) + -etta -ette

Words nearby mofette

Moerae, Moers, Moesia, Moesogoth, Moesogothic, mofette, moffie, mofo, mofongo, mog, Mogadishu
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

British Dictionary definitions for mofette

mofette
/ (məʊˈfɛt) /
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
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