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Petrichor: meaning, pronunciation and examples

Petrichor noun. The earthy smell that rises when rain falls after a long dry spell.

How to say it

PET-rih-kor/ˈpɛtrɪkɔː/

3 syllables, stressed on the first (PET).

Petrichor in a sentence

The first storm of August broke, and the whole street filled with petrichor.

She opened the window just to breathe in the petrichor.

Similar and opposite

Similar:

  • smell of rain

Where petrichor comes from

Coined in 1964 by two Australian scientists from Greek petra, stone, and ichor, the fluid in the veins of the gods.

Test yourself

Which word fills the gap?

She opened the window just to breathe in the _____.

  • griffonage
  • petrichor
  • borborygmus
Show the answer

petrichor: She opened the window just to breathe in the petrichor.