blower

What it means

1. A person who blows.
2. businessA fissure from which firedamp issues, often in quantity for many years.

   The great sources of fire-damp in coal mines are blowers or fissures from which currents of this inflammable gas issue in considerable quantities and for a long series of years

   1843, Humphry Davy, “On the fire-damp of coal mines, and on methods of lighting the mines so as to prevent its explosion”, in Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, number 31 December 1833 volume 2, republished online 1 January 1997

   Synonyms: feeder

3. Any device that blows; often, especially, a furnace component or a supercharger.

   The locomotive […] was quietly "blowing off" on one Ross "pop" valve, whilst the rhythmic clanging of the fireman's shovel, the black smoke pouring from her chimney, and the harsh sound of the blower told of the proximity of departure time.

   1942 July–August, Philip Spencer, “On the Footplate in Egypt”, in Railway Magazine, page 208

In a sentence

The great sources of fire-damp in coal mines are blowers or fissures from which currents of this inflammable gas issue in considerable quantities and for a long series of years

1843, Humphry Davy, “On the fire-damp of coal mines, and on methods of lighting the mines so as to prevent its explosion”, in Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, number 31 December 1833 volume 2, republished online 1 January 1997

Where it comes from

1. Old Englishblāwere
2. Middle Englishblowere
3. Englishblower

From Middle English blowere, blower, from Old English blāwere; equivalent to blow + -er.