Strange Yet Useful Words To Describe Smells

You’ve probably caught a whiff of that pleasant odor that permeates the air in the wake of a rainstorm — but did you know there’s a specific term for that fragrant phenomenon? It’s called petrichor (more on that in a minute). In fact, the English language is full of lesser-used words that describe specific smells we’re all familiar with, whether it’s as delightful as rain or as offputting as a sweaty gym bag. Here are 10 odd examples of scent-specific terms.

The term “petrichor” refers to the earthy and typically pleasant odor that flits through the air after it rains. This scent generally pops up during warm, dry periods. It’s caused by a combination of plant oils and the organic soil-based compound geosmin, which are released into the air post-rainfall. “Petrichor” was introduced to the lexicon in 1964 by chemists Isabel Joy Bear and Richard Grenfell Thomas in the journal Nature, combining “petro-” (“rock”) with “-ichor” (“thin watery discharge”).

After cooking a nice Italian pasta dish, you may have trouble getting rid of that garlicky smell from your fingertips. That odor can be described as alliaceous, which means “resembling garlic or onion especially in smell or taste.” The word is derived from the Latin allium, which means “garlic.”

A strong odor of any kind could be called a nidor, which means “a strong smell.” However, the word is most commonly used in kitchens to refer to the smell of cooking or burning meat or fat. While “nidor” is a noun, it can also take the form of the adjective “nidorous.” After enjoying a nidorous meal, you may expel a “nidorosity,” or a belch that tastes like meat.

Harsh chemicals, smoke emanating from a forest fire, and burning plastic could all aptly be described as acrid. This word means “unpleasantly pungent in odor,” often to the point that the smell irritates the senses. It was coined in the early 18th century from the Latin acer, meaning “sharp to the senses.”

When “redolent” was coined in the 15th century, it simply referred to anything that had an aroma. But over time, it came to apply to places or objects permeated with odors that evoke memories. After all, smell is known to trigger vivid memories in our brains. For instance, the scent of old books in a vintage book shop may take you back to reading those books for the first time when you were younger. Or the redolent smells of freshly cut grass may evoke memories of childhood summers from days gone by.

The word “hircine” is a highly specific term meaning “of, or relating to, or suggestive of a goat.” It’s derived from the Latin hircus, meaning “a male goat.” Someone who works at a petting zoo, for instance, may come home with hircine odors wafting off their clothing.

If something is offensive to your sense of smell, it could be described as noisome. The term dates to the 14th century, from the Middle English “noysome,” with “noy” meaning “annoyance.” Despite the similar spelling, it has nothing to do with the word “noisy,” though a noisome smell and a noisy sound may be equally annoying.

Have you ever caught an unpleasant whiff of a passerby smoking cigarettes? That lingering smell could be described as mundungus. This 17th-century word specifically refers to foul-smelling tobacco. It comes from the Spanish mondongo, meaning “tripe” — or the insides of an animal, which don’t exactly smell pleasant either.

In a mythical sense, the word “ambrosia” refers to the food or perfume of the gods. Its adjectival form, “ambrosial,” can be used to describe any extremely pleasant smells. If the smell in question is nice and fragrant — such as a high-end perfume or a decadent dinner — it can be referred to as ambrosial.

When you enter a gym or locker room, you may be overcome by the unpleasant wafting odors that come about due to kakidrosis. This noun, meaning “secretion of sweat of a disagreeable odor,” is perfect to refer to those musty locker rooms you may recall from playing football in high school. The term is derived from the Greek kakos, meaning “bad,” combined with hidrosis, meaning “sweat.”