lacrimation
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The act or process of shedding tears; the secretion of tears, especially when in excess: "lacrimation" refers to the physiological production and release of tears from the lacrimal glands.
Usage
- The word "lacrimation" is a formal, medical, or technical term. It is commonly used in clinical, scientific, and sometimes literary contexts to describe the act of crying or tear production, often implying a more objective or physiological perspective than everyday words like "crying."
- It is typically used as an uncountable noun.
Examples
- Noun:
- The patient's symptoms included excessive lacrimation and nasal congestion.
- Exposure to the chemical vapor can cause immediate lacrimation and eye irritation.
- The emotional scene provoked not just feelings of sadness, but also physical lacrimation.
Advanced Usage
- "Reflex lacrimation": Tearing caused by an external irritant, such as smoke or an onion.
- Chopping onions triggers reflex lacrimation to protect the eye.
- "Psychic lacrimation": Tearing induced by emotional states.
- The study compared neural pathways involved in psychic lacrimation versus basal tear production.
Variants and Related Words
- Lacrimal (adj): Pertaining to tears or the tear glands.
- The lacrimal gland is responsible for tear production.
- Lacrimatory (adj): Causing tears.
- Police used a lacrimatory agent to disperse the crowd.
- Lachrymation (n): An alternative, less common spelling of "lacrimation" with the same meaning.
Synonyms
- Tearing: The act of shedding tears.
- Watering: (Of the eyes) producing tears.
- Weeping: The act of crying or shedding tears (often implies a stronger emotional component).
Related Phrases
- Epiphora: The medical term for an overflow of tears onto the face due to obstruction of the tear drainage system, which is a condition involving excessive lacrimation.
- Alacrima: The medical term for a deficiency or absence of tear secretion.
Noun
- shedding tears