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

See Examples For:

hydrogen sulfide

Workers at Catalyst Refiners Inc. in Institute, W.Va., were cleaning and decontaminating a metal processing site—in preparation for closing it down—when a chemical reaction created dangerous hydrogen sulfide gas around 9:30 a.m.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026

The protein, called Cystathionine γ-lyase, or CSE -- best known for generating hydrogen sulfide, the gas that smells like rotten eggs -- appears to play a key role in how memory forms.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 8, 2026

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

From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2026

It could also bring relief to hundreds of thousands of people who live nearby landfills and may be exposed to toxic pollutants like hydrogen sulfide or benzene.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2025

“Well, not technically allergic, but they give me digestive issues that, um...You know like when tiny amounts of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane combine with hydrogen sulfide and ammonia in the large intestine?”

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas