skatole

[ skat-ohl, -awl ]

noun

1. a white, crystalline, watersoluble solid, C 9 H 9 N, having a strong, fecal odor: used chiefly as a fixative in the manufacture of perfume.

skatole

/ ˈskætəʊl /

noun

1. a white or brownish crystalline solid with a strong faecal odour, found in faeces, beetroot, and coal tar; B-methylindole. Formula: C 9 H 9 N

Word History and Origins

Origin of skatole¹

1875–80; < Greek skat- (stem of skôr ) dung + -ole ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of skatole¹

C19: from Greek skat-, stem of skōr excrement + -ole ¹

Example Sentences

Where bits of balsam treated with odorous substances were attacked or simply ignored, those carrying indole or skatole were picked up and carried to the cemetery.

From New York Times

Because in low concentrations, according to Wikipedia, skatole “has a flowery smell and is found in several flowers and essential oils,” such as orange blossoms and jasmine.

From Scientific American

Skatole bears a heavy responsibility for making poo smell phooey.

From Scientific American

And not from the blends of substances in corpses which are repellent to the human nose—not, for example, from the loathsome skatole and indole that distinguish human feces, nor the trimethylamine that rises dramatically from spoiled fish.

From The New Yorker