Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small, dilated structure in the eye's drainage system: The lacrimal sac is a membranous sac located at the inner corner of each eye, at the nasal end of the lacrimal duct. It serves as a reservoir that collects tears secreted by the lacrimal glands before they drain into the nasal cavity.

Usage

• The term is used in anatomical, medical, and biological contexts to describe a specific part of the human tear drainage system.
• It is typically used as a singular noun, but the plural form "lacrimal sacs" refers to the pair of structures.

Examples

• Noun:
  • An infection of the lacrimal sac is called dacryocystitis.
  • Tears flow from the eye's surface into the lacrimal sac via small canals.
  • The surgeon carefully probed the blocked lacrimal sac to restore tear drainage.

Advanced Usage

• "Obstruction of the lacrimal sac": A common condition where the sac becomes blocked, preventing normal tear drainage and often leading to infection or excessive tearing.
• "Lacrimal sac massage": A therapeutic technique sometimes recommended for infants with congenital blockages to help open the duct.

Variants and Related Words

• Nasolacrimal sac: A synonym emphasizing the sac's connection to the nose (naso-).
• Dacryocyst: A medical term synonymous with lacrimal sac, often used in clinical diagnoses (e.g., dacryocystitis).
• Lacrimal apparatus: The collective term for the entire tear-producing and drainage system, which includes the lacrimal glands, ducts, sac, and nasolacrimal duct.

Synonyms

• Dacryocyst (medical term)
• Tear sac (common descriptive term)

Related Phrases

• Lacrimal sac drainage: Refers to the process or surgical procedure for clearing a blocked sac.
• Lacrimal sac tumor: A rare growth or neoplasm within the sac.

Noun

1. either of the two dilated ends of the lacrimal ducts at the nasal ends of the eyes that fill with tears secreted by the lacrimal glands