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":"301MgufT-iV-kWe1DhtKr","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"xenograft","entry":"xenograft"},{"slug":"xenolith","entry":"xenolith"},{"slug":"xenomorphic","entry":"xenomorphic"},{"slug":"xenon","entry":"xenon"},{"slug":"xenon-arc","entry":"xenon arc"}],"after":[{"slug":"xenon-tetrafluoride","entry":"xenon tetrafluoride"},{"slug":"xenon-trioxide","entry":"xenon trioxide"},{"slug":"xenophanes","entry":"Xenophanes"},{"slug":"xenophile","entry":"xenophile"},{"slug":"xenophilia","entry":"xenophilia"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"xenon-hexafluoride"},"requestId":"wQJTQb4M4z5pGrCmddnC_","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"xenon-hexafluoride"},"requestId":"7Yk-1HOykVcl66tdK23vy","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"Entry","audioPronunciations":[],"confusableNotes":[],"genderNotes":[],"grammarNotes":[],"headword":{"displayForm":"xenon hexafluoride","slug":"xenon-hexafluoride"},"idioms":[],"orderKey":99999010,"ordinal":10,"origin":null,"partOfSpeechBlock":[{"definitions":[{"antonymsConnection":{"edges":[]},"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"type\": \"def\", \"children\": [{\"text\": \"a colorless, crystalline compound, XeF\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"6\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \", that melts at 50\\u00b0C to a yellow liquid, and boils at 75\\u00b0C.\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]","examples":[],"ordinal":1,"subdefinitions":[],"synonymsConnection":{"edges":[]}}],"inflectionSets":[],"labelSet":{"labelSetText":"Chemistry."},"ordinal":1,"partOfSpeech":"noun"}],"pronunciationNotes":[],"pronunciationSet":null,"relatedFormSets":[],"sensitiveNotes":[],"spellingNotes":[],"synonymStudy":[],"usageAlerts":[],"usageNotes":[],"variants":[],"verbPhrases":[]}],"url":"xenon-hexafluoride"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"xenon-hexafluoride"},"requestId":"FmgRYv2DIxr8U-aqr7RXW","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"xenon-hexafluoride","displayForm":"xenon hexafluoride","canonicalSlug":"xenon-hexafluoride","content":[{"source":"luna","entries":[{"id":"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e7d475f.-997","type":"normal","entry":"xenon hexafluoride","entrySyllabified":"xenon hexafluoride","entryVariants":[],"homograph":null,"pronunciation":null,"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"definitions":[{"order":1,"type":"simple","predefinitionContent":"","postdefinitionContent":"","definition":"a colorless, crystalline compound, XeF6, that melts at 50°C to a yellow liquid, and boils at 75°C.","synonyms":"","antonyms":"","cites":[]}],"pos":"noun","posSupplementaryInfo":"Chemistry."}],"origin":null,"originData":null,"supplementaryNotes":[],"variantForms":[],"variantSpellings":[],"referenceData":[],"relatedForms":[],"confusables":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":172805,"index-rank-01":["xenon hexafluoride"],"index-rank-02":[],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":["xenon hexafluoride's","xenon hexafluorides","xenon hexafluorides'"],"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":[],"categoryId":"42","complexityScore":0.4581113658873386,"gradeLevel":"high_school","tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"xenon-hexafluoride"},"requestId":"NYtaHD13CT9NhBmjXX4HU","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":[],"tuna":["tenon","neon","zenana","canon","pennon","renown","venin","anon","senor","runon","sepon","zoning","cento","none","noon","noun","benign","cannon","censor","lean on","re nown","re-nown","reunion","sermon","ternion","Zion","known","cent","in on","on on","snob","union","nun","son","keen on","turnon","senior","bunion","minion","pin on","pinion","ronion","run on","season","senora","senors","set on","set-on","seen","sewn","snow","soon","xing","no-no","send","sent","snog","rein in","scion","one one","be in on","being on","dawn on","down on","fawn on","re union","re-union","turn on","turn-on","zero in","gone on","sign on","gain on","rain on","sell on"],"lunaWithSlug":[],"tunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"tenon","slug":"tenon"},{"displayForm":"neon","slug":"neon"},{"displayForm":"zenana","slug":"zenana"},{"displayForm":"canon","slug":"canon"},{"displayForm":"pennon","slug":"pennon"},{"displayForm":"renown","slug":"renown"},{"displayForm":"venin","slug":"venin"},{"displayForm":"anon","slug":"anon"},{"displayForm":"senor","slug":"senor"},{"displayForm":"runon","slug":"runon"},{"displayForm":"sepon","slug":"sepon"},{"displayForm":"zoning","slug":"zoning"},{"displayForm":"cento","slug":"cento"},{"displayForm":"none","slug":"none"},{"displayForm":"noon","slug":"noon"},{"displayForm":"noun","slug":"noun"},{"displayForm":"benign","slug":"benign"},{"displayForm":"cannon","slug":"cannon"},{"displayForm":"censor","slug":"censor"},{"displayForm":"lean on","slug":"lean%20on"},{"displayForm":"re nown","slug":"re%20nown"},{"displayForm":"re-nown","slug":"re-nown"},{"displayForm":"reunion","slug":"reunion"},{"displayForm":"sermon","slug":"sermon"},{"displayForm":"ternion","slug":"ternion"},{"displayForm":"Zion","slug":"zion"},{"displayForm":"known","slug":"known"},{"displayForm":"cent","slug":"cent"},{"displayForm":"in on","slug":"in%20on"},{"displayForm":"on on","slug":"on%20on"},{"displayForm":"snob","slug":"snob"},{"displayForm":"union","slug":"union"},{"displayForm":"nun","slug":"nun"},{"displayForm":"son","slug":"son"},{"displayForm":"keen on","slug":"keen%20on"},{"displayForm":"turnon","slug":"turnon"},{"displayForm":"senior","slug":"senior"},{"displayForm":"bunion","slug":"bunion"},{"displayForm":"minion","slug":"minion"},{"displayForm":"pin on","slug":"pin%20on"},{"displayForm":"pinion","slug":"pinion"},{"displayForm":"ronion","slug":"ronion"},{"displayForm":"run on","slug":"run%20on"},{"displayForm":"season","slug":"season"},{"displayForm":"senora","slug":"senora"},{"displayForm":"senors","slug":"senors"},{"displayForm":"set on","slug":"set%20on"},{"displayForm":"set-on","slug":"set-on"},{"displayForm":"seen","slug":"seen"},{"displayForm":"sewn","slug":"sewn"},{"displayForm":"snow","slug":"snow"},{"displayForm":"soon","slug":"soon"},{"displayForm":"xing","slug":"xing"},{"displayForm":"no-no","slug":"no-no"},{"displayForm":"send","slug":"send"},{"displayForm":"sent","slug":"sent"},{"displayForm":"snog","slug":"snog"},{"displayForm":"rein in","slug":"rein%20in"},{"displayForm":"scion","slug":"scion"},{"displayForm":"one one","slug":"one%20one"},{"displayForm":"be in on","slug":"be%20in%20on"},{"displayForm":"being on","slug":"being%20on"},{"displayForm":"dawn on","slug":"dawn%20on"},{"displayForm":"down on","slug":"down%20on"},{"displayForm":"fawn on","slug":"fawn%20on"},{"displayForm":"re union","slug":"re%20union"},{"displayForm":"re-union","slug":"re-union"},{"displayForm":"turn on","slug":"turn%20on"},{"displayForm":"turn-on","slug":"turn-on"},{"displayForm":"zero in","slug":"zero%20in"},{"displayForm":"gone on","slug":"gone%20on"},{"displayForm":"sign on","slug":"sign%20on"},{"displayForm":"gain on","slug":"gain%20on"},{"displayForm":"rain on","slug":"rain%20on"},{"displayForm":"sell on","slug":"sell%20on"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"xenon-hexafluoride"},"requestId":"Xc9K9pdE_XeB4lVllhEOE","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

xenon hexafluoride

noun

Word of the Day