lachrymatory

or lac·ri·ma·to·ry

[ lak-ruh-muh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or causing the shedding of tears.

noun

, plural lach·ry·ma·to·ries.

1. Also called lachrymal. a small, narrow-necked vase found in ancient Roman tombs, formerly thought to have been used to catch and keep the tears of bereaved friends.

lachrymatory

/ ˈlækrɪmətərɪ; -trɪ /

noun

1. a small vessel found in ancient tombs, formerly thought to hold the tears of mourners

adjective

1. a variant spelling of lacrimatory

Word History and Origins

Origin of lachrymatory¹

1650–60; (noun) < Medieval Latin lachrymātōrium, equivalent to lachrymā ( re ) to shed tears + -tōrium -tory ²; (adj.) < Medieval Latin lachrymātōrius, equivalent to lachrymā ( re ) + -tōrius -tory ¹; lachrymal

Example Sentences

The chemical weapons broadly termed tear gas are officially classified as “lachrymatory agents” because they result in tears—along with nausea, burning sensations, watering eyes and a feeling of breathing difficulty.

From Scientific American

“And as my lungs, eyes and nose burned with the pain of the lachrymatory agent released from multiple capsules that had fallen around me, I started cursing.”

From The Guardian

Onions make us teary because a reaction in the onion releases a chemical called lachrymatory factor, or LF, that irritates our eyes.

From New York Times

"What he was proposing to use in Mesopotamia was lachrymatory gas, which is essentially tear gas, not mustard gas."

From BBC

So in theory, if you block the lachrymatory factor synthase, you can increase thiosulfinate, and end up with a tearless, yet more tasty, onion!

From Scientific American