hydrogen sulfide

American

noun

a colorless, flammable, water-soluble, cumulatively poisonous gas, H 2 S, having the odor of rotten eggs: used chiefly in the manufacture of chemicals, in metallurgy, and as a reagent in laboratory analysis.

hydrogen sulfide Scientific

A colorless, poisonous gas that smells like rotten eggs. It is formed naturally by decaying organic matter and is the smelly component of intestinal gas. It is also emitted by volcanoes and fumaroles. Hydrogen sulfide is used in the petroleum, rubber, and mining industries, and in making sulfur. Chemical formula: H ₂ S.

Etymology

Origin of hydrogen sulfide

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"In the end, we detected several molecules in these planets -- some for the first time, including hydrogen sulfide."

From Science Daily

These toxic elements sat in the channel’s then-stagnant water, which led to a die-off of all vegetation and the emission of foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide.

From Los Angeles Times

In controlled laboratory experiments, the researchers used a compound that releases hydrogen sulfide as it breaks down.

From Science Daily

They illuminated a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and nitrogen to recreate atmospheric conditions from before life emerged.

From Science Daily

It could also bring relief to hundreds of thousands of people who live nearby landfills and may be exposed to toxic pollutants like hydrogen sulfide or benzene.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023