Etymology

miasma

mi·as·ma
M3I1A1S1M3A1

Today it means: A noxious atmosphere or emanation once thought to originate from swamps and waste, and to cause disease. Full definition →

Ancient Greek μίασμα
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The story

  1. Ancient Greek · borrowed fromμίασμα“stain; pollution”
  2. English todaymiasma

First attested in 1665. From Ancient Greek μίασμα (míasma, “stain; pollution”).

Words from the same roots

Ancient Greekμίασμα all →

miasmatist

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.