Meanings
plural geosmins
- countableuncountablechemistryA bacterial derivative of decahydronaphthalene that has a strong earthy smell and is the material responsible for petrichor and for the earthy taste of beetroot.
Beetroots: The flavor is decisively characterized by the earthy note of geosmin
2014, Burkhard Fugmann, Susanne Lang-Fugmann, Wolfgang Steglich, editors, RÖMPP Encyclopedia Natural Products, Georg Thieme Verlag, →ISBN2 more examples
A good example of this is geosmin, for which a typical sensitivity for the human nose is below 10 parts per trillion (10 parts in 10¹⁸ v/v) (ppt).
1998, F. Colin, Ph. Quevauviller, Monitoring of Water Quality, Elsevier, →ISBN, page 151A. versicolor may be one of the major producers of the moldy smelling component, geosmin, in buildings (Bjurman and Kristensson 1992).
2011, Olaf C.G. Adan, Robert A. Samson, Fundamentals of mold growth in indoor environments and strategies for healthy living, Springer, →ISBN, page 255
Origin
- Ancient Greekγεω-“earth”
- Englishgeosmin
From Ancient Greek γεω- (geō-, “earth”) + ὀσμή (osmḗ, “smell”) + -in. Coined by American biochemist Nancy N. Gerber and French-American biologist Hubert A. Lechevalier in 1965.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Polish geosmina
- geosminacompound
Spanish geosmina
- geosminacompound
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
geosmin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geosmin
“geosmin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geosmin. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “geosmin,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geosmin.
Source: geosmin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.