Mofette (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.]

* Definition from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Segment Producer: Beth Botshon