Definition

1. Noun:

   • A chemical agent, typically a gas or aerosol spray, that causes severe eye, skin, and respiratory irritation, resulting in tearing, pain, and temporary blindness. It is used primarily for riot control and self-defense.

2. Verb:

   • To attack or disperse people by using tear gas.

Usage

• Noun: Used as a non-count noun to refer to the chemical agent itself.

  • The police used teargas to disperse the protesters.
  • Exposure to teargas causes immediate burning and watering of the eyes.

• Verb: Used to describe the action of deploying tear gas against a person or group.

  • Authorities threatened to teargas the crowd if they did not disperse.
  • The prisoners were teargassed during the uprising.

Advanced Usage

• "To be hit with teargas": To be affected by tear gas.
  • Several journalists were hit with teargas at the demonstration.
• "Teargas canister/grenade": The projectile device that releases the gas.
  • A teargas canister landed near the building's entrance.

Variants and Related Words

• Tear gas (noun): A common alternative spelling as two separate words.
• CS gas (noun): A specific, common type of tear gas (2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile).
• Lacrimator (noun, formal): A technical term for a substance that irritates the eyes and causes tears.
• Riot control agent (noun): The formal category of chemical to which tear gas belongs.

Synonyms

• Noun: CS gas, lachrymator (technical), riot control agent.
• Verb: Gas (in this specific context), disperse with gas.

Related Phrases

• Deploy teargas: To use tear gas in a controlled manner.
  • The unit was ordered to deploy teargas.
• Fired teargas: Launched tear gas projectiles.
  • Police fired teargas into the occupied square.

Noun

1. a gas that makes the eyes fill with tears but does not damage them; used in dispersing crowds

Verb

1. attack with teargas; subject to teargas fumes
   • The students were teargassed during the riot