lachrymatory

American  

[lak-ruh-muh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / ˈlæk rə məˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

Or lacrimatory

adjective

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

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noun

plural

lachrymatories

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 British  

/ ˈlækrɪmətərɪ, -trɪ /

noun

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

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adjective

1. a variant spelling of lacrimatory

Etymology

Origin of lachrymatory

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

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 • Sep. 5, 2017

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

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2015

With an unobserved hint to the affected lady, he pushed an empty dish towards her as a lachrymatory, in order that nothing might be lost.

From Titan: A Romance v. 1 (of 2) by Richter, Jean Paul Friedrich

"Here it is," and Coco has presented us with a small opaque lachrymatory, glistening all over in the exquisite irridescence of old glass.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 59, No. 368, June 1846 by Various

I’d almost bet a fiver that those two pre-Raphaelite angels will each be provided with an antique lachrymatory designed by their dear brother, and they’ll drop their tears therein and stopper them up.

From Eli's Children The Chronicles of an Unhappy Family by Fenn, George Manville