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Glite Dictionary
lacrimal duct

lacrimal duct

6.1
A small tube that carries tears from the tear gland to the eye surface
  • noun
  • /ˈleɪkrɪməl dʌkt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : conducto lagrimal
  • Doctors examined the patient's lacrimal duct to check for any signs of infection.

Examples

  • The lacrimal duct plays a crucial role in tear drainage.

  • When the lacrimal duct is blocked, tears may overflow onto the cheek.

  • Inflammation of the lacrimal duct can cause discomfort and watery eyes.

  • She felt discomfort in her lacrimal duct after the injury.

  • Tears travel through the lacrimal duct before they reach the surface of the eye.

  • If the lacrimal duct is blocked, tears cannot drain properly, leading to watery eyes.

  • The surgeon explained that the lacrimal duct is essential for tear drainage from the eye.

Synonyms

tear duct
vslacrimal duct
  • Specialized
5 3.2

A small tube that carries tears from the eye gland to the eye surface

is the technical anatomical term rather than the common everyday name
lachrymal duct
vslacrimal duct
  • UK
7.9

A small tube that carries tears from the tear gland to the eye surface

has the same meaning but is an alternative spelling

Surface Forms

lacrimal duct singular
lacrimal ducts plural

Morphology

lacrimal + duct

The meaning 'a small tube that carries tears' is directly and compositionally derived from 'lacrimal' (relating to tears) + 'duct' (a hollow channel conveying fluid). This follows regular anatomical naming patterns and is cross-linguistically comparable, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Lacrimal duct comes from old Latin words: lacrimal meaning 'tear' and duct meaning 'to lead'. So it literally names the small tube that 'leads' tears from the gland to the surface of the eye, which is exactly what it does today.