Olfactometer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An instrument designed to measure or detect odors by sampling air or substances
2. A tool that facilitates the analysis of scents by capturing and assessing smell intensity or character
3. A device used in sensory studies to evaluate the presence and strength of different smells

Etymology: "Olfactometer" is a technical coinage built from two parts that were both in common scientific use by the time it appeared. The first part, "olfacto-", comes from the Latin "olfactus", meaning "a smelling" or "sense of smell", which is itself from "olfacere", "to smell". The second part, "-meter", comes from the Greek "metron", "measure", and is the familiar suffix found in instruments like thermometers and barometers. Put together, the word names an instrument for measuring smell, which is why its definition centres on judging how strong a scent is or what kind of odour it has. The term belongs to the vocabulary of modern laboratory science, where researchers needed a way to put a number on something as elusive as smell. The name follows the same pattern as the older instruments it resembles, so its meaning is transparent to anyone who knows what a thermometer measures.