lacrimal

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   anatomy: relating to tears or to the organs that produce or drain them

   The lacrimal glands release tears onto the surface of the eye.

2. 2
   noun

   the small lacrimal bone at the inner wall of the eye socket

   The surgeon examined the lacrimal for signs of a fracture.

Borrowed from Medieval Latin lacrimalis, from Latin lacrima ("tear") + -alis ("-al"). Lachrymal is a learned doublet, and lacrymal is a historical spelling variant; all refer to tears or the tear apparatus.

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