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

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

From Science Daily

They illuminated a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and nitrogen to recreate atmospheric conditions from before life emerged.

From Science Daily

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

The scientists discovered that the reaction between hydrogen sulfide -- a poisonous gas -- and solid iron minerals is not only a chemical process, but also a biological one.

From Science Daily

Toxic hydrogen sulfide escapes from nearby wells, giving the air the smell of “burnt rotten eggs,” Campos said.

From Salon