Odourant

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A material that releases a distinctive smell, often used for enhancing aroma or as a detectable marker
2. A compound that produces a noticeable scent, which may serve to enhance flavor or signal presence
3. A substance that emits a distinct smell to modify or enhance an aroma

Etymology: "Odourant" is the British spelling of "odorant," and the word is built from familiar Latin material. Its core is "odor," the Latin word for smell, which English took over in the same form. The ending "-ant" comes from the Latin present participle suffix, so an odorant is, in effect, a thing that is "smelling" or giving off a smell. The word is used for a substance that produces an odour, most often a chemical that a nose can detect, such as the compounds added to natural gas so leaks can be noticed. The British "-our" spelling simply follows the pattern of other words such as "colour" and "flavour," which were spelled with "-or" in Latin and gained the "u" in English.

Synonyms: fragrant, scented, aromatic

Antonyms: odorless, unscented, foul