A poisonous gas mixture left in a coal mine after an explosion, primarily composed of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.
From 'after' plus 'damp' (from Middle German dampf, meaning 'vapor' or 'steam'). Mining terminology from the industrial revolution when coal mining became increasingly hazardous.
Miners knew that the biggest danger after a mine explosion wasn't the blast itself—it was the invisible afterdamp that would silently asphyxiate rescue workers, making it a particularly terrifying occupational hazard.
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