miasmático
1. relating to or caused by miasma; characterized by noxious or foul vapors or gases
The miasmatic air rising from the swamp was believed to cause disease in the 19th century.
O ar miasmático que subia do pântano era acreditado causar doenças no século XIX.
2. emanating a noxious or oppressive atmosphere; corrupted or tainted
The miasmatic conditions of the crowded tenement buildings contributed to high mortality rates.
As condições miasmáticas dos edifícios de cortiço superlotados contribuíram para altas taxas de mortalidade.
3. figuratively, poisonous or corrupting in moral or social sense
The critic described the novel's miasmatic influence on young readers' morals.
O crítico descreveu a influência miasmática do romance na moral dos leitores jovens.
The term 'miasmatic' originates from the historical miasma theory of disease transmission, prevalent before germ theory. While scientifically obsolete, it remains important in medical history and is occasionally used metaphorically in English and Portuguese to describe corrupting or unhealthy influences. The word is rarely used in contemporary colloquial speech but appears frequently in academic and historical texts.
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