English Explanatory Dictionary

geosmin

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A bacterial derivative of decahydronaphthalene that has a strong earthy smell and is the material responsible for petrichor and for the earthy taste of beetroot.

Pronunciation

/d͡ʒiːˈɒz.mɪn/ /d͡ʒiˈɑz.mɪn/

Word forms

geosmin geosmins

Etymology

From Ancient Greek γεω- (geō-, “earth”) + ὀσμή (osmḗ, “smell”) + -in. Coined by American biochemist Nancy N. Gerber and French-American biologist Hubert A. Lechevalier in 1965.

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