First recorded in 1960–65.
Comes from petro-, a combining form meaning \"rock,\" and ichor, which in classical mythology means “ethereal fluid flowing in the veins of the gods.”
Sign up for more Word of the Day!

\r\nEXAMPLES OF PETRICHOR\r\n

The desert landscape was quickly transformed as petrichor filled the air after a long-awaited rainstorm.
As the storm passed, leaving behind puddles and damp earth, the sweet petrichor lingered like a fond memory.

\r\nIt's National Poetry Month, and we’ve created a challenge that really is for everyone. Submit now!","audio":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/NEW2016/petrichor_000.mp3","definitions":[{"partofspeech":"noun","data":"a distinctive scent, usually described as earthy, pleasant, or sweet, produced by rainfall on very dry ground."}],"examples":[],"imageUrl":"https://www.dictionary.com/e/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/petrichor_IG.png","accentColor":"#0063D7"}},"status":"succeeded"}},"meta":{"requestId":"VAkvxtcGUl3TslA7Dafnd","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"newtonian-mechanics","entry":"Newtonian mechanics"},{"slug":"newtonian-telescope","entry":"Newtonian telescope"},{"slug":"newton--isaac","entry":"Newton, Isaac"},{"slug":"newton-meter","entry":"newton-meter"},{"slug":"newton-s-cradle","entry":"Newton's cradle"}],"after":[{"slug":"newton-s-laws-of-motion","entry":"Newton's laws of motion"},{"slug":"newton-s-method","entry":"Newton's method"},{"slug":"newton-s-rings","entry":"Newton's rings"},{"slug":"new-town","entry":"new town"},{"slug":"newtownabbey","entry":"Newtownabbey"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"newton-s-law-of-gravitation"},"requestId":"RQLDdZzFB2x8eWTQ1lYEQ","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"newton-s-law-of-gravitation"},"requestId":"U7Hjw2m_IpEA1-xnYYf0E","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"newton-s-law-of-gravitation"},"requestId":"dE4t5y6XVLa2Aerx2pjGN","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"newton-s-law-of-gravitation","displayForm":"Newton's law of gravitation","canonicalSlug":"newton-s-law-of-gravitation","content":[{"source":"collins","entries":[{"id":"u11d1def534ea1be0.1a3ea532.11d23ef94c2.7a56.1","type":"normal","entry":"Newton's law of gravitation","entrySyllabified":null,"entryVariants":"","homograph":null,"pronunciation":{"audio":null,"spell":null,"ipa":""},"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"pos":"noun","posSupplementaryInfo":"","definitions":[{"order":1,"type":"simple","predefinitionContent":"","definition":"the principle that two particles attract each other with forces directly proportional to the product of their masses divided by the square of the distance between them","postdefinitionContent":""}]}],"origin":"","supplementaryNotes":[],"variantForms":[],"referenceData":[],"relatedForms":[],"derivedForms":[]}]},{"source":"science","entries":[{"id":"N0011100","type":"V","entry":"Newton's law of gravitation","homograph":null,"pronunciation":{"audio":{"audio/ogg":"https://static.sfdict.com/content-assets/science/audio/ogg/NA011100.ogg","audio/mpeg":"https://static.sfdict.com/content-assets/science/audio/mp3/NA011100.mp3","audio/wav":"https://static.sfdict.com/content-assets/science/audio/wav/NA011100.wav"},"spell":"nōōt′nz"},"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"pos":"","pronunciation":"","posSupplementaryInfo":"","definitionSets":[{"id":null,"predefinitionContent":"","definition":"The principle that expresses the force of gravitational attraction between two bodies as a function of their mass and their distance. Expressed mathematically, F = Gm1m2d2where F is the force in Newtons, m1 and m2 are the masses of the bodies in kilograms, G is the gravitational constant, and d is the distance between the bodies in meters. Newton's Principle of Gravitation is an example of an inverse square law. Also called law of gravitation law of universal gravitation See Note at gravity.","postdefinitionContent":"","subdefinitions":[],"dsSupplementaryInfo":[]}]}],"relatedForms":[],"supplementaryNotes":[],"media":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":105371,"index-rank-01":["newton's law of gravitation","newton's law of gravitation"],"index-rank-02":["newtons law of gravitation","newtons law of gravitation"],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":[],"index-rank-05":[],"index-rank-06":[],"index-rank-07":[],"index-rank-08":[],"index-rank-09":[],"index-rank-10":[],"index-rank-11":[],"index-rank-12":[],"index-rank-13":[],"index-rank-14":[],"index-rank-15":[],"tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"newton-s-law-of-gravitation"},"requestId":"pHzwUmobF0K4pUrlxQNrX","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":[],"tuna":["neaten","netting","neon","newt","not on","Eton","newborn","neato","bet on","not one","bent on","net","ton","get on","let on","set on","set-on","end on","neat","noon","new moon","went on","wert on","heat-on","new dawn","tenon","new","near to"],"lunaWithSlug":[],"tunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"neaten","slug":"neaten"},{"displayForm":"netting","slug":"netting"},{"displayForm":"neon","slug":"neon"},{"displayForm":"newt","slug":"newt"},{"displayForm":"not on","slug":"not%20on"},{"displayForm":"Eton","slug":"eton"},{"displayForm":"newborn","slug":"newborn"},{"displayForm":"neato","slug":"neato"},{"displayForm":"bet on","slug":"bet%20on"},{"displayForm":"not one","slug":"not%20one"},{"displayForm":"bent on","slug":"bent%20on"},{"displayForm":"net","slug":"net"},{"displayForm":"ton","slug":"ton"},{"displayForm":"get on","slug":"get%20on"},{"displayForm":"let on","slug":"let%20on"},{"displayForm":"set on","slug":"set%20on"},{"displayForm":"set-on","slug":"set-on"},{"displayForm":"end on","slug":"end%20on"},{"displayForm":"neat","slug":"neat"},{"displayForm":"noon","slug":"noon"},{"displayForm":"new moon","slug":"new%20moon"},{"displayForm":"went on","slug":"went%20on"},{"displayForm":"wert on","slug":"wert%20on"},{"displayForm":"heat-on","slug":"heat-on"},{"displayForm":"new dawn","slug":"new%20dawn"},{"displayForm":"tenon","slug":"tenon"},{"displayForm":"new","slug":"new"},{"displayForm":"near to","slug":"near%20to"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"newton-s-law-of-gravitation"},"requestId":"c2KleHA4J6DXsU1f1-C4P","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}