The Slow-Cooked Sentence

Petrichor

Rachael Conlin Levy

pet-ri-kuhr
noun
Sam under umbrella
Bring on the rain! Photo by Dance in the Kitchen.

Darkening clouds and a breeze carrying petrichor sends Sam into the house for an umbrella. When the rain arrives, he’s ready.

1. The scent of rain on dry earth.

In 1964, two Australian researchers were the first to use the word to describe the smell of rain. The oil from plants, absorbed into clay soil and rocks during dry spells (and there are many of them in Nevada), is released into the air when it rains. The word petrichor originally referred to the fluid that flowed in the veins of Greek gods.



5 responses to “Petrichor”

  1. Kate says:

    What a wonderful photo! The energy pours through it as much as the rain!

  2. Rachael Levy says:

    Thanks Kate. I love it when my kids' energy can be spent outside. Splashing in puddles and racing about with umbrellas is a favorite activity.

  3. I LOVE this! Thanks for teaching me this.

  4. Rachael Levy says:

    I was so excited when I learned there was a word for that rain smell, and then to discover it was the blood of the gods. Well, that's just perfect.

  5. I love the word and that smell. Very interesting that it comes from the "blood of gods"!

    Kyndale

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