firedamp

F4I1R1E1D2A1M3P3

noun

A flammable gas (mostly methane) found in coal mines; forms an explosive mixture with air.

Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nounfiredamp (usually uncountable, plural firedamps)

plural firedamps · alternative fire damp · alternative fire-damp

  1. uncountableusuallybusinessA flammable gas (mostly methane) found in coal mines; forms an explosive mixture 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.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian ру́дничен газ, газ-гризу́
  • ру́дничен газ (rúdničen gaz)an inflammable gas found in coal mines
  • газ-гризу́ (gaz-grizú)an inflammable gas found in coal mines
Catalan grisú
  • grisúan inflammable gas found in coal mines
Dutch mijngas
  • mijngasan inflammable gas found in coal mines
Esperanto grizuo
  • grizuoan inflammable gas found in coal mines
Finnish kaivoskaasu
  • kaivoskaasuan inflammable gas found in coal mines
French grisou
  • grisouan inflammable gas found in coal mines
German Grubengas
  • Grubengasan inflammable gas found in coal mines
Hungarian sújtólég
  • sújtólégan inflammable gas found in coal mines
Italian grisou
  • grisouan inflammable gas found in coal mines
Polish gaz kopalniany
  • gaz kopalnianyan inflammable gas found in coal mines
Portuguese grisu
  • grisuan inflammable gas found in coal mines
Romanian grizu
  • grizuan inflammable gas found in coal mines
Spanish grisú
  • grisúan inflammable gas found in coal mines
Swedish gruvgas
  • gruvgasan inflammable gas found in coal mines
Turkish grizu
  • grizuan inflammable gas found in coal mines
Welsh llosgnwy
  • llosgnwyan inflammable gas found in coal mines
Cite this entry
APA

firedamp. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/firedamp

MLA

“firedamp.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/firedamp. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “firedamp,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/firedamp.

Source: firedamp on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.