Monday word of the week - miasma

I have been feeling under the weather the last few days. When you are sick you don’t always remember what day it is or what is on your to-do list for the day. So I’m here on Tuesday with your Monday word of the week.

I ran across the word miasma this week and although I was pretty sure I knew what it meant, it occurred to me that this was not a very common word and that there may be a lot of people who don’t know what it means.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

miasma

1

: a vaporous exhalation formerly believed to cause disease; also: a heavy vaporous emanation or atmosphere <a miasma of tobacco smoke>

2

: an influence or atmosphere that tends to deplete or corrupt <freed from the miasma of poverty — Sir Arthur Bryant>; also: an atmosphere that obscures : fog

Oxford Dictionary

miasma

Pronunciation: /mɪˈazmə, mʌɪ-/

Definition of miasma

noun (plural miasmas)

literary

• an unpleasant or unhealthy smell or vapour: a miasma of stale alcohol hung around him

• an oppressive or unpleasant atmosphere which surrounds or emanates from something: a miasma of despair rose from the black workshops

Derivatives

miasmal

adjective

miasmatic

Pronunciation: /mɪəzˈmatɪk/

adjective

Origin:

mid 17th century: from Greek, literally ‘defilement’, from miainein ‘pollute’

 

I was reading a book that used the word to describe something foul and evil and nasty. It is a word you find in horror novels or science fiction/fantasy novels; where there is a good vs evil theme going on. It’s not used so much in everyday conversation. I challenge you to find a way to use Miasma this week.

~Deb~