smell does not fit

a word catalogue for molecules

Smell does not fit in one word.

One molecule can carry several impressions at once. Choose a few words and open the drawer that holds them in common.

Open the drawer
SMELL / 01OPEN
fruitygreensweetwoody
4,983in the catalogue
Words do not line up. They overlap.
4,983molecules
138descriptors
21labels on one molecule

01 / choose the words

One word opens the drawer. The next one tightens it.

Choose one, two or three descriptors. The number changes with every choice.

in the drawer

277 molecules in common

With fruity, green and sweet, 277 molecules remain.

0121 associated labels

butyl lactate

structural notation CCCCOC(=O)C(C)O

applebutterycaramelliccheesycreamydairy+15
0220 associated labels

hexenal

structural notation CCCC=CC=O

aldehydicalmondapplebananabittercheesy+14
0317 associated labels

3,6-nonadien-1-ol

structural notation CCC=CCC=CCCO

applebananacucumberfattyfishyfresh+11
0415 associated labels

citronellol

structural notation CC(C)=CCCC(C)CCO

citrusfattyfloralfreshfruitygeranium+9
0516 associated labels

molecule 1382

structural notation Cc1ccc(CC(C)C=O)cc1

aldehydicalmondamberbalsamiccherrycitrus+10
Without JavaScript fruity + sweet fruity + green + sweet

02 / one card opens

One molecule gathered 21 words.

Butyl lactate appears in the catalogue with a whole family of associations. Some of them share one card: fruity, green, sweet, creamy, waxy.

SPECIMEN / 40421 LABELS

common name

butyl lactate

CCCCOC(=O)C(C)O

See the molecule in PubChem
applebutterycaramelliccheesycreamydairyearthyfermentedfruit skinfruitygreenketoniclactonicmelonmilkymushroomsoapysweetvanillawaxywiney

a combination that stays

Fruity and sweet appear together in 742 cards.

Add green and 277 remain. The third word does not explain the smell by itself. It changes the neighbourhood.

03 / the whole field

A word map without one centre.

The catalogue gathers associations from two flavour and fragrance sources. The counts show how often a label appears, not how strongly a molecule smells.

fruity1,90238.17%
green1,44629.019%
sweet1,42928.678%
floral1,10022.075%
herbal75615.172%
woody67913.626%
fatty59812.001%
fresh53310.696%

04 / the edge of the card

A label is a proximity, not a verdict.

A label means that a descriptor is associated with that molecule in the catalogue. It does not measure intensity or tell us what every person experiences. The molecules are treated separately, not blended into a perfume.

Where the numbers come from

The count uses the public OpenPOM table, built from the GoodScents and Leffingwell catalogues. The Principal Odor Map paper describes approximately 5,000 molecules and 138 labels. The name of the 21-label example comes from PubChem.