mofette
2 dictionary results for: moffette
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
[moh-fet; Fr. maw-fet] 
mo⋅fette
[moh-fet; Fr. maw-fet] –noun
| 1. | a noxious emanation, consisting chiefly of carbon dioxide, escaping from the earth in regions of nearly extinct volcanic activity. |
| 2. | one of the openings or fissures from which this emanation issues. |
Also, mof⋅fette.
Origin:
1815–25; < F < It moffetta (Neapolitan mufeta), equiv. to muff(a) (Upper It mofa) mould (< Langobardic; cf. G Muff mould, late MHG müffeln to give off a foul smell) + -etta -etta
1815–25; < F < It moffetta (Neapolitan mufeta), equiv. to muff(a) (Upper It mofa) mould (< Langobardic; cf. G Muff mould, late MHG müffeln to give off a foul smell) + -etta -etta
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Cite This Source
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| mo·fette also mof·fette
(mō-fět') Pronunciation Key
n.
[French, gaseous exhalation, from Italian moffetta, diminutive of muffa, mold, moldy smell, probably of Germanic origin.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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