noun
- a mixture of gases (chiefly nitrogen and carbon dioxide) found in coal mines that is incapable of supporting combustion or respiration
Usage: mining; also called choke damp
Examples
- Miners had to be careful of blackdamp accumulating in poorly ventilated shafts.
- The presence of blackdamp made it impossible to light a lamp in that section of the mine.
- Blackdamp was responsible for many deaths in coal mines before modern ventilation systems were installed.
- The canary would collapse if blackdamp levels became too high.
- Workers used ventilation fans to disperse blackdamp and prevent dangerous buildups.