noun
- Noxious or foul-smelling vapors or gases, especially those thought to cause disease or illness.
Usage: archaic; historical medical term
Examples
- Medieval physicians believed that mephites rising from swamps caused plague.
- The mephites from the factory were thought to be responsible for the town's illness.
- Early medical theory attributed disease to mephites in the air.
- Doctors warned citizens to avoid areas where mephites accumulated.