lachrymatory

or lac·ri·ma·to·ry

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

adjective

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

noun,plural lach·ry·ma·to·ries.

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.

Origin of lachrymatory

1650–60; (noun) <Medieval Latin lachrymātōrium, equivalent to lachrymā(re) to shed tears + -tōrium-tory²; (adj.) <Medieval Latin lachrymātōrius, equivalent to lachrymā(re) + -tōrius-tory¹; see lachrymal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lachrymatory in a sentence

Some of these are thought to be Phœnician tombs, as lamps and lachrymatories have been found in them.
The Story of Malta | Maturin M. Ballou
As I was prying about, I found a glass phial, filled (as was conjectured) with dried blood, and two lachrymatories.
The Diary of John Evelyn (Vol 1 of 2) | John Evelyn
These lines do not make me weep,” he said, “but there is in me what would fill whole Lachrymatories as I read.
Tennyson and His Friends | Various

British Dictionary definitions for lachrymatory

lachrymatory

/ (ˈlækrɪmətərɪ, -trɪ) /

nounplural -ries

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

adjective

a variant spelling of lacrimatory

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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