Miasma
WordNet
noun
(1) Unhealthy vapors rising from the ground or other sources
"The miasma of the marshes"
"A miasma of cigar smoke"
(2) An unwholesome atmosphere
"The novel spun a miasma of death and decay"
WiktionaryText
Etymology
First attested in 1665. From (miasma) "stain, pollution".
Noun
- A noxious atmosphere or influence.
- A noxious atmosphere or emanation once thought to originate from swamps and waste to cause disease.