white damp

American  

noun

1. a poisonous coal-mine gas composed chiefly of carbon monoxide.

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Etymology

Origin of white damp

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

On the white, damp wall of the Yahidne school basement is a crude calendar, drawn in red crayon.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2022

"The white damp of those days was due to the heavy charges of gunpowder or low explosive that were used, explosives which are forbidden now in dangerous mines."

From The Boy With the U.S. Miners by Rolt-Wheeler, Francis

"And what am I to do with this Signal" Hilda asked, fingering the white, damp paper.

From Hilda Lessways by Bennett, Arnold

None of these men, however, had to withstand the effects of white damp in the air; on the other hand, none of them had any supply of food, however small, to begin with.

From The Boy With the U.S. Miners by Rolt-Wheeler, Francis

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)