First recorded in 1960–65.
Comes from petro-, a combining form meaning \"rock,\" and ichor, which in classical mythology means “ethereal fluid flowing in the veins of the gods.”
Sign up for more Word of the Day!

\r\nEXAMPLES OF PETRICHOR\r\n

The desert landscape was quickly transformed as petrichor filled the air after a long-awaited rainstorm.
As the storm passed, leaving behind puddles and damp earth, the sweet petrichor lingered like a fond memory.

\r\nIt's National Poetry Month, and we’ve created a challenge that really is for everyone. Submit now!","audio":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/NEW2016/petrichor_000.mp3","definitions":[{"partofspeech":"noun","data":"a distinctive scent, usually described as earthy, pleasant, or sweet, produced by rainfall on very dry ground."}],"examples":[],"imageUrl":"https://www.dictionary.com/e/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/petrichor_IG.png","accentColor":"#0063D7"}},"status":"succeeded"}},"meta":{"requestId":"mrFzhk_NtUDuICkRhygw_","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"woundwort","entry":"woundwort"},{"slug":"wourali","entry":"wourali"},{"slug":"wove","entry":"wove"},{"slug":"woven","entry":"woven"},{"slug":"wove-paper","entry":"wove paper"}],"after":[{"slug":"wow","entry":"wow"},{"slug":"wow-factor","entry":"wow factor"},{"slug":"wowser","entry":"wowser"},{"slug":"wozniak","entry":"Wozniak"},{"slug":"wp","entry":"WP"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"wovoka"},"requestId":"nIzoQgYq7jiA_P6LZsorP","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"wovoka"},"requestId":"JVb4dhA155b_bNxesaPK_","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"Entry","audioPronunciations":[{"mpeg":"https://nonprod-audio.dictionary.com/W02/W0247100/W0247100.mp3"}],"confusableNotes":[],"genderNotes":[],"grammarNotes":[],"headword":{"displayForm":"Wovoka","slug":"wovoka"},"idioms":[],"orderKey":99999010,"ordinal":10,"origin":null,"partOfSpeechBlock":[{"definitions":[{"antonymsConnection":{"edges":[]},"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"text\": \"c1856\\u20131932,\", \"type\": \"date\"}, {\"type\": \"def\", \"children\": [{\"text\": \"Paiute religious leader: originator of the ghost dance religion.\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]","examples":[],"ordinal":1,"subdefinitions":[],"synonymsConnection":{"edges":[]}}],"inflectionSets":[],"labelSet":null,"ordinal":1,"partOfSpeech":"noun"}],"pronunciationNotes":[],"pronunciationSet":{"pronunciationSetChunk":"{\"type\": \"pronunciation_set\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e7d475f.-2fc2\", \"pronunciationGroupChunks\": [{\"type\": \"pronunciation_group\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e7d475f.-2fc1\", \"ipaChunks\": [{\"text\": \"w\\u0259\\u02c8vo\\u028a k\\u0259\", \"type\": \"text\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e7d475f.-2fc0\"}], \"spellChunks\": [{\"text\": \"w\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"uh\", \"type\": \"emphasis\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e7d475f.-2fbe\"}, {\"text\": \"-\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"voh\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e7d475f.-2fbd\"}, {\"text\": \"-k\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"uh\", \"type\": \"emphasis\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e7d475f.-2fbc\"}]}]}"},"relatedFormSets":[],"sensitiveNotes":[],"spellingNotes":[],"synonymStudy":[],"usageAlerts":[],"usageNotes":[],"variants":[],"verbPhrases":[]}],"url":"wovoka"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"wovoka"},"requestId":"4Q-mpgijJP1b5KEKBAFbq","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"wovoka","displayForm":"Wovoka","canonicalSlug":"wovoka","content":[{"source":"luna","entries":[{"id":"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e7d475f.-2fc6","type":"normal","entry":"Wovoka","entrySyllabified":"Wo·vo·ka","entryVariants":[],"homograph":null,"pronunciation":{"ipa":"wəˈvoʊ kə ","spell":"wuh-voh-kuh ","audio":{"audio/ogg":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/lunawav/W02/W0247100.ogg","audio/mpeg":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/W02/W0247100.mp3"}},"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"definitions":[{"order":1,"type":"simple","predefinitionContent":"c1856–1932,","postdefinitionContent":"","definition":"Paiute religious leader: originator of the ghost dance religion.","synonyms":"","antonyms":"","cites":[]}],"pos":"noun","posSupplementaryInfo":""}],"origin":null,"originData":null,"supplementaryNotes":[],"variantForms":[],"variantSpellings":[],"referenceData":[],"relatedForms":[],"confusables":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":172469,"index-rank-01":["wovoka"],"index-rank-02":[],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":["wovoka's"],"index-rank-05":[],"index-rank-06":[],"index-rank-07":[],"index-rank-08":[],"index-rank-09":[],"index-rank-10":[],"index-rank-11":[],"index-rank-12":[],"index-rank-13":[],"index-rank-14":[],"index-rank-15":[],"tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"wovoka"},"requestId":"mSBlIZdmPiG2ffUJW_S8p","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":["Wovoka","vodka","wok","evoke","Work","Wouk","waka","weka","woke","woof","work","wove","wonk","Wiak","Wick","wick","wonga","wonky","woven","Volga","WOC","wacko","volk","Koffka","revoke","weak","Viki","Waco","viga","viva","vivo","vo-ag","wack","whoof","wiki","wive","VGA","WOF","wof","wog","Wesak","woofer","worker","Vega","Wave","fork","wake","wark","wauk","wave","wavy","week","live oak","we've","work off"],"tuna":["wok","evoke","woke","woof","work","wove","wonk","wonky","woven","wacko","revoke","weak","wack","worker","fork","wake","wave","wavy","week","work off"],"lunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"Wovoka","slug":"wovoka"},{"displayForm":"vodka","slug":"vodka"},{"displayForm":"wok","slug":"wok"},{"displayForm":"evoke","slug":"evoke"},{"displayForm":"Work","slug":"work"},{"displayForm":"Wouk","slug":"wouk"},{"displayForm":"waka","slug":"waka"},{"displayForm":"weka","slug":"weka"},{"displayForm":"woke","slug":"woke"},{"displayForm":"woof","slug":"woof"},{"displayForm":"work","slug":"work"},{"displayForm":"wove","slug":"wove"},{"displayForm":"wonk","slug":"wonk"},{"displayForm":"Wiak","slug":"wiak"},{"displayForm":"Wick","slug":"wick"},{"displayForm":"wick","slug":"wick"},{"displayForm":"wonga","slug":"wonga"},{"displayForm":"wonky","slug":"wonky"},{"displayForm":"woven","slug":"woven"},{"displayForm":"Volga","slug":"volga"},{"displayForm":"WOC","slug":"woc"},{"displayForm":"wacko","slug":"wacko"},{"displayForm":"volk","slug":"volk"},{"displayForm":"Koffka","slug":"koffka"},{"displayForm":"revoke","slug":"revoke"},{"displayForm":"weak","slug":"weak"},{"displayForm":"Viki","slug":"viki"},{"displayForm":"Waco","slug":"waco"},{"displayForm":"viga","slug":"viga"},{"displayForm":"viva","slug":"viva"},{"displayForm":"vivo","slug":"vivo"},{"displayForm":"vo-ag","slug":"vo-ag"},{"displayForm":"wack","slug":"wack"},{"displayForm":"whoof","slug":"whoof"},{"displayForm":"wiki","slug":"wiki"},{"displayForm":"wive","slug":"wive"},{"displayForm":"VGA","slug":"vga"},{"displayForm":"WOF","slug":"wof"},{"displayForm":"wof","slug":"wof"},{"displayForm":"wog","slug":"wog"},{"displayForm":"Wesak","slug":"wesak"},{"displayForm":"woofer","slug":"woofer"},{"displayForm":"worker","slug":"worker"},{"displayForm":"Vega","slug":"vega"},{"displayForm":"Wave","slug":"wave"},{"displayForm":"fork","slug":"fork"},{"displayForm":"wake","slug":"wake"},{"displayForm":"wark","slug":"wark"},{"displayForm":"wauk","slug":"wauk"},{"displayForm":"wave","slug":"wave"},{"displayForm":"wavy","slug":"wavy"},{"displayForm":"week","slug":"week"},{"displayForm":"live oak","slug":"live-oak"},{"displayForm":"we've","slug":"we-ve"},{"displayForm":"work off","slug":"work--off"}],"tunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"wok","slug":"wok"},{"displayForm":"evoke","slug":"evoke"},{"displayForm":"woke","slug":"woke"},{"displayForm":"woof","slug":"woof"},{"displayForm":"work","slug":"work"},{"displayForm":"wove","slug":"wove"},{"displayForm":"wonk","slug":"wonk"},{"displayForm":"wonky","slug":"wonky"},{"displayForm":"woven","slug":"woven"},{"displayForm":"wacko","slug":"wacko"},{"displayForm":"revoke","slug":"revoke"},{"displayForm":"weak","slug":"weak"},{"displayForm":"wack","slug":"wack"},{"displayForm":"worker","slug":"worker"},{"displayForm":"fork","slug":"fork"},{"displayForm":"wake","slug":"wake"},{"displayForm":"wave","slug":"wave"},{"displayForm":"wavy","slug":"wavy"},{"displayForm":"week","slug":"week"},{"displayForm":"work off","slug":"work%20off"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"wovoka"},"requestId":"pJsKEJMb2gA5lpyciV2L3","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

Wovoka

noun

Word of the Day