petrichor

/ˈpɛt.ɹɪ.kə

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.

Why this word is great

PETRICHOR — [Noun] The mineral-tinged fragrance arising when rain meets arid ground, released by geosmin and plant oils. From Greek petro- ("stone") + ichor ("the ethereal fluid believed to flow in the veins of the gods"), coined in 1964 by Australian scientists Isabel Joy Bear and Richard Grenfell Thomas. Unlike "petroleum" (a slick of ancient decay) or "ichnite" (the frozen echo of footsteps in stone), petrichor is the living sigh of the earth itself—a covenant between sky and soil. It is cracked clay drinking, the iron tang of wet sandstone, the gasp of roots stirring beneath your feet. The gods have withdrawn, but their breath still lingers in the dust.

noun

  1. The distinctive scent, caused by geosmin, which accompanies the first rain after a long, warm, dry spell.“Though it had yet to begin raining, the familiar smell of petrichor appeared to be already present and Neelam suddenly wished she was sitting at home with a nice cup of tea and a good book.”
  2. The yellow organic oil that yields this scent.“He hypothesizes that this factor may be petrichor, an oil which has been isolated from silicate minerals and rocks[…].”