Other forms: miasmas
A miasma is an unpleasant heavy vapour, or an oppressive atmosphere. A miasma of smoke, a miasma of corruption, hang like a miasma.
Before germ theory, miasma theory held that disease came from bad air rising off filth, which was wrong about the cause but right enough about the places to be a useful guide to sanitation. The figurative sense is now the commoner.
1nounmiasmaAn unpleasant heavy vapour, or an oppressive atmosphere.
“A miasma of smoke and exhaust fumes hung over the city on still days.”
miasma is a vapour, or an atmosphere.
Greek miasma means a stain or pollution, from miainein, to pollute.
Ancient Greek
μίασμα — stain; pollution
English, today
miasma
First attested in 1665. From Ancient Greek μίασμα (“stain; pollution”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA