What does lacrimal mean?
Lacrimal is an anatomical adjective meaning “of or relating to tears.” It is used especially in medical and biological contexts to describe the glands that produce tears, the ducts that drain them, and related parts of the eye. The term is also used for the lacrimal bone, a small bone forming part of the inner wall of the eye socket. In ordinary conversation, people are more likely to say “tear duct” or “tear gland” than to use the formal word “lacrimal.” The vocabulary is precise and useful because it identifies structures by their function within the eye's tear system. Its meaning is technical rather than emotional: it describes anatomy, not a person's tendency to cry. Although the word may appear alongside terms such as “lacrimal gland” and “lacrimal duct,” it should not be confused with lachrymose, which concerns frequent crying.
adjectiveRelating to the production or flow of tears. In anatomy, the term describes structures such as the lacrimal glands and the lacrimal bone, which are associated with the eye and tear drainage.
- Of or relating to tears or their production.
- Of or relating to the lacrimal gland, duct, apparatus, or other tear-related structures of the eye.
"The ophthalmologist examined the patient's lacrimal glands for signs of blockage."
"The infection caused swelling in the lacrimal duct."
"An MRI revealed an abnormality in the lacrimal bone."
"Dry-eye specialists commonly evaluate the lacrimal glands."
The word lacrimal quietly points to a tear's journey: from the lacrimal gland that makes it to the lacrimal duct that carries it away.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lacrimal come from?
Lacrimal comes through French from Latin, where lacrimalis meant “of tears.” Its ultimate root is the Latin word lacrima, meaning “tear,” which is related to the English tear in its sense of moisture from the eye. The adjective was adopted into anatomical terminology to label the structures involved in producing and draining tears. Related English forms include lachrymose and lachrymatory, which also derive from Latin words associated with tears.
Related word forms
How lacrimal is actually used
Lacrimal is primarily a technical anatomical term. It is distinct from lachrymose, which describes frequent or excessive weeping rather than anatomical structures.
Easily confused with lacrimal
Lacrimal means relating to tears or tear production, whereas lachrymose describes a tendency to cry easily or excessively.
Lacrimal is an adjective describing an anatomical structure, while lacrimate is a verb meaning to shed tears or produce moisture from the eyes.