Meaning & use
lachrymator
Last updated
A substance that irritates the eyes and induces tears, such as tear gas or the volatile compounds released when cutting an onion.
See it in a sentence
Onions release a lachrymator that makes chopping them an eye-watering task.
Police deployed a lachrymator to disperse the crowd.
A note on using this word
The word comes from the Latin 'lachryma' (tear); the related adjective 'lachrymatory' describes anything that causes tears.
Words with a similar meaning
tear agentirritant
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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