Link Centre Dictionary

firedamp

fi·re·damp

US/ˈfaɪɜrˌdæmp/ uncommon

noun

1.

a mixture of gases (mostly methane) that form in coal mines and become explosive when mixed with air

Origin

From fire + damp with 'damp' not in the usual sense of 'moist' but old German, modern Dutch, Danish 'damp' as steam or vapour, hence a gas liable to catch fire.

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.