Lexicography
Petrichor
Petrichor is the term for the characteristic earthy aroma that arises when rain falls on dry soil. Coined in 1964 by Australian researchers Isabel Joy Bear and R. G. Thomas, the scent reflects a combination of plant-derived oils, microbial metabolites such as geosmin, and physical processes that aerosolize these compounds during light to moderate rainfall.
Serendipity
Serendipity is the faculty or phenomenon of making valuable discoveries not actively sought. Coined in 1754 by Horace Walpole, the term links chance events with sagacious recognition and action, and it has become central to discussions of scientific discovery, innovation, and information seeking.
Sesquipedalian
Sesquipedalian is an English adjective and noun denoting either a long, polysyllabic word or a style characterized by the use of such words. The term derives from Latin sesquipedalis, literally “a foot and a half long,” famously used by the poet Horace in Ars Poetica; modern dictionaries record English use from the 17th century, with the adjective sense attested in 1656.