petrichor
Americannoun
Usage
What does petrichor mean? Petrichor is the smell caused by rainfall on very dry soil, as in I hate rain but I love the petrichor that results from it. Petrichor is often described as a pleasant or earthy scent. Because petrichor has a very specific meaning, you are only likely to see it used by people talking about the smells following a rainstorm. Similar to words like saudade and pulchritudinous, petrichor is often a favorite word of people with large vocabularies. When you use petrichor, be aware that not everyone will know what it means. Example: Every time it rains I get to enjoy the smell of petrichor.
Etymology
Origin of petrichor
First recorded in 1960–65; petro- 1 ( def. ) + ichor ( def. ) (in the classical mythology sense “ethereal fluid”)
Explanation
Petrichor is the wonderful, earthy smell that rises from the ground after the first drops of rain fall. Breathe deep the next time you're outdoors at the start of a rain shower, and you'll experience petrichor for yourself! There is something poetic about petrichor, a word that captures a specific but elusive smell that most people find appealing. However, it's a highly scientific concept, first described in 1964 by Australian researchers, who discovered that a molecule is released into the air when water falls on warm, dry soil. The smell of petrichor is so popular that it's been recreated in many perfumes. The word's roots are the Greek petra, "rock," and ichor, "blood of the gods."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Petrichor is the pleasant, earthy aroma of rain falling on dry soil, sometimes described more simply as the smell of rain.
From Salon • May 31, 2025
Maestretti and Leigh Adams of Studio Petrichor are vigilantly trying to protect the soil they’ve long been nurturing around their Altadena homes, both of which were destroyed in the Eaton fire.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2025
Petrichor includes a chemical called geosmin, which is made by bacteria in soil.
From BBC • May 28, 2024
Petrichor said the city was “very excited” to receive the grant, which if accepted will be used to begin a phased process to provide body cameras to about 110 officers.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 29, 2021
Her debut novel, “Three Muses,” won the Petrichor Prize for Finely Crafted Fiction and is forthcoming from Regal House Publishing in fall 2022.
From Washington Post • Mar. 18, 2021
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
