odorant

noun

odor·​ant ˈō-də-rənt How to pronounce odorant (audio)
: an odorous substance
especially : one added to a dangerous odorless substance to warn of its presence

Examples of odorant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On its own, natural gas is odorless, but a strong odorant is added to the gas to alert people in case of a leak. — Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 4 July 2025 The hook is also shaped to minimize damage to the fish during removal. To draw sharks to the drum line, each of the floats had a small metal cage to hold chunks of fish that would release odorants. — ArsTechnica, 22 July 2025 Remarkably, similar-smelling odorants appeared in clusters on the map—a feature prior odor maps couldn't achieve. — Simon Makin, Scientific American, 10 Nov. 2023 If the odor plume is turbulent (middle), the concentration strategy can still work if the animal is close enough to the source, despite the odorant’s uneven concentration. — Dana MacKenzie, Discover Magazine, 20 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for odorant

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of odorant was in 1860

Rhymes for odorant

See All Rhymes for odorant

Browse Nearby Words

odor
odorant
odorate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Odorant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/odorant. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Medical Definition

odorant

noun
odor·​ant ˈōd-ə-rənt How to pronounce odorant (audio)
: an odorous substance
especially : one added to a toxic odorless substance to warn of its presence
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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