Pronunciation: /ˈpɛt·rɪ·kɔr/ Part of speech: noun Definition: The distinctive, earthy, and usually pleasant smell that rises from dry soil or stone when rain first falls upon it. Etymology: <cite index="6-1">The word was coined in the 1960s by Australian scientists Isabel Joy Bear and Richard Grenfell Thomas, and derives from the Greek words *petra* (stone) and *ichor* (the fluid believed to flow through the veins of gods).</cite> <cite index="3-11">Bear and Thomas introduced the term in a 1964 article published in the journal *Nature*.</cite> The combining form *petro-* also gives English words like *petrify* and *petroleum*, while ichor carries its mythological weight from ancient Greek religion. Synonyms: argillaceous odor, rain scent, geosmin aroma, pluvial fragrance, earthy redolence In a sentence: After weeks of summer drought, she stepped off the porch and breathed in the petrichor_ that had settled over the cracked garden beds.