mercaptan
/mərˈkæptæn/
noun
- A chemical compound that contains sulfur and has a very strong, unpleasant smell, often added to natural gas to make leaks easy to detect.
- Workers wear masks when handling mercaptan because the odor is so strong.
- The smell of rotten eggs in natural gas comes from a mercaptan added for safety.
- A small amount of mercaptan is enough to warn people of a gas leak.
Synonyms