odorant

noun

odor·​ant ˈō-də-rənt 

: 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

Because propane itself is odorless, an odorant is added to give it a distinctive scent that is often compared to rotten eggs or a skunk’s spray. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 31 July 2026

Mercaptan, a colorless odorant, was released during routine maintenance at Energy Transfer’s Arlington odorization station, according to a company statement. — Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026

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

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

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for odorant

• deodorant

Medical Definition

odorant

noun

odor·​ant ˈōd-ə-rənt 

: an odorous substance

especially : one added to a toxic odorless substance to warn of its presence