lachrymator
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈlækrɪˌmeɪtər/
- UK
- Police deployed a lachrymator to disperse the demonstrators in the square.
Examples
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The military uses a lachrymator as a non-lethal crowd control agent.
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The police used a lachrymator to disperse the crowd.
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Exposure to the lachrymator caused everyone's eyes to water uncontrollably.
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Many protesters were affected by the lachrymator during the demonstration.
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The police used a lachrymator to disperse the crowd during the protest.
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In crowd control situations, lachrymators can effectively produce tears without causing lasting harm.
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The lachrymator released a cloud of gas that made everyone in the area sob uncontrollably.
Synonyms
61
3.7
A gas that makes people's eyes burn and makes them cry, used by police to break up crowds
3
5.0
A gas that burns the eyes and makes people cry, used by police to break up crowds
2
4.4
A chemical that makes eyes water and people cough to make crowds move away
1
9.5
A gas that makes the eyes water and sting
How Irritating
Surface Forms
Morphology
lachrymator = lachrym + ator
The element 'lachrym-' is a learned combining form for 'tear' that is not a productive or familiar English base for most learners, so the meaning of 'lachrymator' is not derivable by a typical B1 learner from its parts.
Etymology
Lachrymator comes from the Latin root lacrima meaning 'tear' and the ending -ator meaning 'that which causes'. So a lachrymator is something often used as a gas that makes your eyes water, which explains its modern use for chemicals that cause tears.