afterdamp

American  

[af-ter-damp, ahf-] / ˈæf tərˌdæmp, ˈɑf- /

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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afterdamp British  

/ ˈɑːftəˌdæmp /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of afterdamp

First recorded in 1855–60; after + damp

Example Sentences

Carbon monoxide, the gas released after a methane explosion – known to miners as afterdamp – is just as lethal in a different way.

From The Guardian • Nov. 24, 2010

They also had been killed in escaping, dragged down by the inexorable afterdamp.

From Sir George Tressady — Volume II by Ward, Humphry, Mrs.

When I came to I was lying with my face in a dampish sort of hollow, and I suppose the afterdamp had lifted a bit, for I could raise my head.

From Sir George Tressady — Volume II by Ward, Humphry, Mrs.

But no other part of him was burnt, and it was clear that he had died of afterdamp in trying to escape.

From Sir George Tressady — Volume II by Ward, Humphry, Mrs.

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.

From The Silent Bullet by Reeve, Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin)