Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A combustible gas, chiefly methane, occurring naturally in mines from the decomposition of coal.
- noun The explosive mixture of firedamp and air.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The gas contained in coal, often given off by it in large quantities, and exploding, on ignition, when mixed with atmospheric air.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun a mixture of gases (mostly methane) that forms in coal mines and becomes explosive when mixed with air. It is a source of serious hazard in coal mining operations.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun mining An
inflammable gas (mostlymethane ) found incoal mines ; forms anexplosive mixture withair .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a mixture of gases (mostly methane) that form in coal mines and become explosive when mixed with air
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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I immediately recognised in this gallery the presence of a considerable quantity of the dangerous gas called by miners firedamp, the explosion of which has often occasioned such dreadful catastrophes.
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When the firedamp had accumulated in the air, so as to form a detonating mixture, the explosion occurred without being fatal, and, by often renewing this operation, catastrophes were prevented.
The Underground City 2003
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A continuous struggle against the dangers of landslips, fires, inundations, explosions of firedamp, like claps of thunder.
The Underground City 2003
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As they had expected, there was no explosion, but, what was more serious, there was not even the slight crackling which indicates the presence of a small quantity of firedamp.
The Underground City 2003
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On May 27, 1812, while Napoleon Bonaparte was in Paris planning his disastrous campaign into Russia, there was a gigantic firedamp explosion at Felling Pitt near Sunderland, England.
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Most likely, firedamp had accumulated in a sealed-off area of exhausted workings, then an old wall had cracked and was rapidly leaking the dreaded gas into the occupied tunnels.
A Place Called Freedom Follett, Ken 1995
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Mack wrapped the boy in the wet blanket, saying: "There's firedamp, Wullie, we've got to get out!"
A Place Called Freedom Follett, Ken 1995
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Ratchett. as manager of the pits, had come to report the firedamp blast.
A Place Called Freedom Follett, Ken 1995
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If the firedamp were not burned off, the pit would close.
A Place Called Freedom Follett, Ken 1995
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Formerly the concentration of firedamp had been much lower, a slow seep rather than a sudden buildup.
A Place Called Freedom Follett, Ken 1995
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