Ozone

Ozone

Noun · /ˈəʊzəʊn/ · a form of oxygen that shields the Earth — and freshens the air

Definition

A pale blue gas with a sharp, clean smell, consisting of molecules of three oxygen atoms (O₃). In the upper atmosphere it forms a layer that absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun; at ground level it is an air pollutant. The word is also used informally for the fresh, clean air found at the seaside or after a thunderstorm.

Origin

Coined in 1840 by German chemist Christian Friedrich Schönbein from Greek ozein, to smell. Schönbein noticed a sharp, distinctive odour produced by electrical discharges and named the new gas after its most immediately noticeable property.