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• tear gas
  tear gas

  noun

  a gas that makes the eyes smart and water, thus producing a temporary blindness, used in modern warfare, to quell riots, etc.
• tear-gas
  tear-gas

  verb (used with object)

  to subject to tear gas.

tear gas

¹ American  

[teer] / tɪər /

noun

1. a gas that makes the eyes smart and water, thus producing a temporary blindness, used in modern warfare, to quell riots, etc.

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tear-gas ² American  

[teer-gas] / ˈtɪərˌgæs /

verb (used with object)

tear-gassed, tear-gassing

1. to subject to tear gas.

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tear gas British  

/ tɪə /

noun

1. Also called: lacrimator.  any one of a number of gases or vapours that make the eyes smart and water, causing temporary blindness; usually dispersed from grenades and used in warfare and to control riots

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Etymology

Origin of tear gas¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Origin of tear-gas²

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Police in Kenya have fired tear gas to break up a protest in the central town of Nanyuki against the construction of an Ebola quarantine centre for US citizens.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

AFP journalists saw several people arrested by police, who also fired tear gas to disperse the growing crowds.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

“John cleared a tear gas canister away from everyone,” Johnson said, pushing back on the government’s account and adding that tear gas had been deployed indiscriminately by law enforcement.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

During a protest that evening, Sahar and her friends sought refuge in a nearby house after tear gas was fired.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

In what is also known as the “Battle of Toledo,” sheriff’s deputies used tear gas and fire hoses against Electric Auto-Lite Company strikers.

From "Fannie Never Flinched" by Mary Cronk Farrell

Related Words

• poison gas