hydrogen sulfide

American  

noun

1. a colorless, flammable, water-soluble, cumulatively poisonous gas, H 2 S, having the odor of rotten eggs: used chiefly in the manufacture of chemicals, in metallurgy, and as a reagent in laboratory analysis.

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hydrogen sulfide Scientific  

1. A colorless, poisonous gas that smells like rotten eggs. It is formed naturally by decaying organic matter and is the smelly component of intestinal gas. It is also emitted by volcanoes and fumaroles. Hydrogen sulfide is used in the petroleum, rubber, and mining industries, and in making sulfur. Chemical formula: H ₂ S.

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Etymology

Origin of hydrogen sulfide

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

For a planet about 1.6 times the size of Earth, it has a surprisingly low density and an atmosphere rich in hydrogen sulfide.

From Science Daily

The air is rife with hydrogen sulfide, carrying the familiar smell of rotting eggs.

From Salon

"In the end, we detected several molecules in these planets -- some for the first time, including hydrogen sulfide."

From Science Daily

These toxic elements sat in the channel’s then-stagnant water, which led to a die-off of all vegetation and the emission of foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide.

From Los Angeles Times

In controlled laboratory experiments, the researchers used a compound that releases hydrogen sulfide as it breaks down.

From Science Daily