odorant
Meaning of odorant: An odorant is any chemical substance capable of stimulating the sense of smell, whether occurring naturally or added intentionally to a product.
Definition of odorant
An odorant is a chemical compound that can be detected by the sense of smell, stimulating receptors in the nasal cavity that give rise to the perception of a particular scent. Odorants can occur naturally in foods, plants, and the environment, or can be manufactured and added to products for a specific purpose.
In safety applications, an odorant is sometimes added to an otherwise odorless substance, such as natural gas, so that a leak can be detected by smell. In research and clinical testing, odorants are also used in structured smell tests to assess how well a person can detect and identify different scents.
The ability to detect a given odorant can vary between individuals and can be reduced by nasal congestion, certain neurologic conditions, or a general decline in the sense of smell.
Used in a sentence
The clinic used a panel of standardized odorants to assess the patient's sense of smell.
Good to know
Smell testing with standardized odorants can help distinguish a general reduction in the sense of smell from an inability to identify specific odors despite detecting that an odor is present.
Word origin
Where “odorant” comes from
From Latin odor, meaning "smell," combined with the suffix -ant, indicating an agent that produces an effect.