Word of the Day: Miasma

Miasma: [mi-az-me]

Part of speech:  noun

Origin:  Ancient Greek

1.  An unpleasant atmosphere

2.  A poisonous, gaseous or noxious cloud

Examples used in a sentence:

1.  Breaking out of the miasma of poverty is no easy task.

2.  The miasma left behind by the sewage truck made us all cover our mouths and noses.

About Miasma

The original meaning of miasma referred to actual clouds of toxic fumes.  In fact, its Greek roots mean “defilement” and “pollute.”  It has since become more common to use it in more figurative contexts – primarily, unpleasant or toxic environments.

Did You Know?

Miasma was first used to describe a vaporous, disease-causing substance before germs were discovered to be the real cause of infection.