afterscent

Etymology

From after- + scent.

afterscent means A scent that follows something; a scent remaining after its source is no longer present. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 82 out of 100.

Why this word is great

AFTERSCENT — [Noun] The olfactory impression that persists after its source has vanished. From the English prefix after- (meaning "subsequent to" or "following") + scent (meaning "a distinctive smell"). Unlike "forescent" (which heralds an arrival) or "residue" (which denotes a coarse, physical deposit), an afterscent is an immaterial echo, a sensory phantom. It is the ghost of pipe smoke in a woolen coat, the whisper of perfume on an empty pillow, or the last hint of rain on sun-warmed pavement—a memory composed for the nose, and proof that absence is filled with the tangible, fading evidence of what has been.

noun

A scent that follows something; a scent remaining after its source is no longer present.“1861, R. H. Chermside, An Only Son, Chapter 21, in Dublin University Magazine Volume 58, No. 343, p. 185, “Prickly plants of disappointment spring up in so many shapes! Yet some have flowers of sweet afterscent. […] ””