English Explanatory Dictionary

petrichor

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The distinctive scent, caused by geosmin, which accompanies the first rain after a long, warm, dry spell.
  2. The yellow organic oil that yields this scent.

Pronunciation

/ˈpɛt.ɹɪ.kə -ˌkɔː/ /ˈpɛt.ɹɪˌkɔɹ -kɚ/ En-ca-petrichor.ogg

Word forms

petrichor

Etymology

From petr(o)- + ichor. Coined by Australian scientist Richard Grenfell Thomas in 1964 for the article “Nature of Argillaceous Odour”, co-authored by Isabel Joy Bear and published in the journal Nature.

Related words

geosmin
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