Can miasma be used for smell?

[alpacinou]

How common is "miasma"? I know it's not used in everyday conversation but is it okay to use it in stories?

Is miasma something that is visible? Does it work for bad smell?

Is this correct and natural?

As they were driving, an acrid miasma was wafting from the desert on the eastern fringe of the road. Julia rolled up the windows to no avail. The stench of sewage was in the car.

 

[emsr2d2]

You can use it but be aware that it will send the majority of your readers to a dictionary.

 

[alpacinou]

You can use it but be aware that it will send the majority of your readers to a dictionary.

Alright, thanks. Is this okay? Can I make it better?

As they were driving, an acrid miasma was wafting from the desert on the eastern fringe of the road. Julia rolled up the windows to no avail. The stench of sewage was in the car.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

How common is "miasma"? I know it's not used in everyday conversation but is it okay to use it in stories?

Is miasma something that is visible?

I don't think so.

Does it work for bad smell?

Since a miasma is a stench or a foul vapor, of course you can use it for smell.

Is this correct and natural?

As they were driving, an acrid miasma was wafting from the desert on the eastern fringe of the road. Julia rolled up the windows to no avail. The stench of sewage was in the car.

I like it. Pew!

It's a great word. It sounds like what it is.

 

[alpacinou]

I don't think so.

In the context of talking about air pollution, can people see a miasma? I've found this example in the dictionary:

https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/miasma
He looked up at me through a miasma of cigarette smoke.

 

[probus]

He looked up at me through a miasma of cigarette smoke.

Evidently, then, some miasmas are visible. That doesn't mean they all are.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

In the context of talking about air pollution, can people see a miasma? I've found this example in the dictionary:

https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/miasma
He looked up at me through a miasma of cigarette smoke.

Never thought about it. I guess so. It makes sense.