Odorant

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A chemical substance that generates a perceivable scent is often employed in detection and sensory experiences
2. A material that releases a noticeable scent serves various roles in detection and sensory exploration
3. A substance that produces a smell perceptible to the senses

Etymology: "Odorant" is formed from the Latin "odorans," the present participle of "odorare," meaning "to smell" or "to scent," and that verb itself comes from "odor," the Latin word for smell. The "-ant" ending is the familiar participial suffix that turns an action into an agent, so an odorant is literally something that is smelling or scenting, or more loosely, something that gives off a smell. The modern sense is a technical one. Chemists and engineers use odorants in practice: natural gas is normally odourless, so a strongly smelling compound is added to it so that leaks can be noticed. The word is thus a scientific coinage built from classical roots rather than an ancient term, and its meaning has narrowed from any smell-producing thing to the specific substance deliberately added to make another substance detectable.

Synonyms: scent, fragrance, aroma, smell, perfume

Antonyms: odorless