Standard Lemma guide

lachrymatory

adj · noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈlækɹɪmətəɹi/

1

adj

Meaning 1

Pertaining to or causing tears.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1919: It is sheer affectation to lacerate a man with the poisonous fragment of a bursting shell and to boggle at making his eyes water by means of lachrymatory gas. — Winston Churchill, "1919 War Office Memorandum"

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A vase supposedly intended to hold tears; formerly used by archaeologists to designate certain urns found in Roman burials.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: archaeology, history, human-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • 1658: For beside these Lachrymatories, notable Lamps with Vessels of Oyles and Aromaticall Liquors attended noble Ossuaries. — Sir Thomas Browne, Urne-Burial (Penguin 2005, p. 21)

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

relating to or prompting tears

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lacrimatory

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Latin lachrymātōrius. By surface analysis, lachrymate + -ory.

From Latin lachrymātōrium. By surface analysis, lachrymate + -ory.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: արցունքաբեր (arcʻunkʻaber) — causing tears
  • Bulgarian: сълзотворен (sǎlzotvoren) — causing tears
  • Finnish: kyynel- — causing tears
  • Finnish: kyynelvuotoa aiheuttava — causing tears
  • French: lacrymogène — causing tears
  • French: lacrymatoire — causing tears
  • Ido: lakrimifanta — causing tears
  • Ido: lakrimiganta — causing tears
  • Polish: łzawiący — causing tears
  • Portuguese: lacrimogêneo — causing tears
  • Portuguese: lacrimogéneo — causing tears
  • Russian: слезоточи́вый (slezotočívyj) — causing tears
  • Bulgarian: лакримарий (lakrimarij) — vase intended to hold tears
  • Finnish: kyynelmalja — vase intended to hold tears
  • French: lacrymatoire — vase intended to hold tears
  • Ido: lakrimovazo — vase intended to hold tears
  • Polish: łzawnica — vase intended to hold tears
  • Russian: слезни́ца (slezníca) — vase intended to hold tears
  • Serbo-Croatian: lakrimarij — vase intended to hold tears
  • Serbo-Croatian: lakrimonij — vase intended to hold tears