tear gland
Noun: - A gland in the eye that produces tears: A "tear gland" is a specialized organ located in the upper outer part of each eye socket. Its primary function is to secrete tears, which keep the eye moist, clean, and protected.
The term "tear gland" is used to refer specifically to the anatomical structure responsible for tear production. - The doctor examined her tear gland to determine the cause of her dry eyes. - Inflammation of the tear gland can lead to excessive tearing or, conversely, a lack of tears.
- Medical Context: In medical terminology, the "tear gland" is often referred to by its more precise anatomical name, the lacrimal gland. Discussions about conditions like dacryoadenitis (inflammation of the lacrimal gland) or Sjögren's syndrome (an autoimmune disorder affecting tear and saliva glands) frequently involve this term.
- The scan showed a blockage in the main duct of the tear gland.
- Lacrimal gland (n): The formal anatomical term for the tear gland.
- The lacrimal gland is responsible for the aqueous layer of the tear film.
- Lacrimal apparatus (n): The entire system involved in tear production and drainage, which includes the tear gland, ducts, and drainage passages.
- Tear duct (n): A related but different structure; this is the tube that drains tears from the eye into the nasal cavity.
- Lacrimal gland: The direct synonym and more technical term.
It is important to distinguish the "tear gland" (which produces tears) from the "tear duct" (which drains them). They are separate parts of the lacrimal system. The word "tear" in this compound noun is pronounced /tɪər/ (like "tear" from crying), not /teər/ (like "tear" a piece of paper).
- any of the glands in the eyes that secrete tears