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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

Collins said that after he was shot, agents began deploying tear gas, which further irritated his throat and eyes.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

Police fired tear gas at the protesters who dispersed, the AFP journalist saw.

From Barron's • Mar. 1, 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

Federal authorities deployed tear gas and made some arrests.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

Doctors and nurses administered first aid for cuts and bruises and the effects of tear gas as marchers lay moaning and weeping on couches, chairs and the floor.

From "Because They Marched" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• poison gas