Meanings
lachrymatory1
comparative more lachrymatory · superlative most lachrymatory · alternative lacrimatory
- Pertaining to or causing tears.
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"
lachrymatory2
plural lachrymatories · alternative lacrimatory
- archaeologyA vase supposedly intended to hold tears; formerly used by archaeologists to designate certain urns found in Roman burials.
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)
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA vase supposedly intended to hold tears; formerly used by archaeologists to designate certain urns found in Roman burials.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiverelating to or prompting tears
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
lachrymatory · adjective
- Latinlachrymātōrius
- Englishlachrymatory
From Latin lachrymātōrius. By surface analysis, lachrymate + -ory.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →lachrymatory · noun
- Latinlachrymātōrium
- Englishlachrymatory
From Latin lachrymātōrium. By surface analysis, lachrymate + -ory.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian сълзотворен, лакримарий
- сълзотворен (sălzotvoren)causing tears
- лакримарий (lakrimarij)vase intended to hold tears
Finnish kyynel-, kyynelvuotoa aiheuttava
- kyynel-causing tears
- kyynelvuotoa aiheuttavacausing tears
- kyynelmaljavase intended to hold tears
French lacrymogène, lacrymatoire
- lacrymogènecausing tears
- lacrymatoirecausing tears
- lacrymatoirevase intended to hold tears
Polish łzawiący, łzawnica
- łzawiącycausing tears
- łzawnicavase intended to hold tears
Portuguese lacrimogêneo, lacrimogéneo
- lacrimogêneocausing tears
- lacrimogéneocausing tears
Russian слезоточи́вый, слезни́ца
- слезоточи́вый (slezotočívyj)causing tears
- слезни́ца (slezníca)vase intended to hold tears
Cite this entry
lachrymatory. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lachrymatory
“lachrymatory.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lachrymatory. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lachrymatory,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lachrymatory.
Source: lachrymatory on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.