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Glite Dictionary
sternutator

sternutator

9.9
A chemical that makes people sneeze, cough, and cry to make a crowd leave
  • noun
  • /ˈstɜrn.juˌteɪ.tər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : estornudador
  • Exposure to the sternutator made everyone's eyes water uncontrollably.

Examples

  • The police used a sternutator to disperse the crowd.

  • The police released a sternutator into the crowd to disperse the protesters.

  • A sternutator can cause significant discomfort by inducing sneezing and coughing.

  • Many sternutators are effective in controlling riots.

  • The police utilized a sternutator to disperse the crowd during the protest.

  • After the demonstration, many people reported irritation from the sternutator used by the authorities.

  • The sternutator created a cloud of smoke that made everyone nearby start sneezing.

Synonyms

tear-gas
vssternutator
  • NSFW
57 4.4

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

is similar but also causes sneezing along with tears and coughing for control
chemical irritant
vssternutator
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A substance that makes skin, eyes or breathing feel sore, like tear gas

is more specific, used for riot control and causes sneezing, coughing, and tears
sternutatory
vssternutator
  • Specialized
9.9

A substance that makes people sneeze and their eyes water

is mainly used for riot control rather than only as an irritant
teargas
vssternutator
5.0

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

adds sneezing and coughing effects beyond mainly eye irritation
lachrymator
vssternutator
  • UK
9.9

A gas or spray that makes your eyes water and sting, often used by police

also causes sneezing and coughing as well as tears for riot control

Surface Forms

sternutator singular
sternutators plural

Morphology

sternutator = sternut + ator

Formed from the Latin combining element 'sternut-' (sneeze) + the agentive suffix '-ator', but neither element is a familiar productive English morpheme for average learners, so meaning is not recoverable from known base words.

Etymology

The word sternutator comes from the Latin sternutare, which means 'to sneeze'. So a sternutator is something that makes people sneeze, cough, or cry, which is why such chemicals are used by police to make crowds leave.