mo·fette also mof·fette (m -f t )n. 1. An opening in the earth from which carbon dioxide and other gases escape, usually marking the last stage of volcanic activity. 2. The gases escaping from such an opening. [French, gaseous exhalation, from Italian moffetta, diminutive of muffa, mold, moldy smell, probably of Germanic origin.] |
mofette [məʊˈfɛt]
n
(Earth Sciences / Geological Science) an opening in a region of nearly extinct volcanic activity, through which carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and other gases pass
[from French, from Neapolitan Italian mofeta; compare dialect German muffezen to smell fetid]
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