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Glite Dictionary
lachrymator

lachrymator

9.9
A gas or spray that makes your eyes water and sting, often used by police
  • noun
  • /ˈlækrɪˌmeɪtər/
  • UK
translation icon : lacrimógeno
  • Police deployed a lachrymator to disperse the demonstrators in the square.

Examples

  • The military uses a lachrymator as a non-lethal crowd control agent.

  • The police used a lachrymator to disperse the crowd.

  • Exposure to the lachrymator caused everyone's eyes to water uncontrollably.

  • Many protesters were affected by the lachrymator during the demonstration.

  • The police used a lachrymator to disperse the crowd during the protest.

  • In crowd control situations, lachrymators can effectively produce tears without causing lasting harm.

  • The lachrymator released a cloud of gas that made everyone in the area sob uncontrollably.

Synonyms

tear-gas
vslachrymator
  • NSFW
57 4.4

A chemical that makes eyes water and people cough to make crowds move away

focuses mainly on causing tears without emphasizing breathing effects
tear gas
vslachrymator
15 3.7

A gas that makes people's eyes burn and makes them cry, used by police to break up crowds

emphasizes irritation more than focusing on lack of permanent harm
lacrimator
vslachrymator
  • Specialized
1 9.5

A gas that makes the eyes water and sting

is the more technical name for the same gas used for crowd control
teargas
vslachrymator
5.0

A gas that burns the eyes and makes people cry, used by police to break up crowds

is the technical term that highlights nonpermanent tearing effect

How Irritating

tear gas
15 3.7
lachrymator
  • UK
9.9
irritant
15 6.0

Surface Forms

lachrymator singular
lachrymators plural

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.