Dacry

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Relating to tears or the glands that produce them, as used in medical and scientific terms
2. Of or connected with weeping, tear production, or the lacrimal system in the body
3. Pertaining to tears, the tear ducts, or the process by which tears are formed and drained

Etymology: Ancient Greek had "dakry," meaning a tear, and a related verb, "dakryein," meaning to weep. English took this root as a combining form, so "dacry-" appears at the start of technical terms rather than as a common everyday word. Most of its use is in anatomy. A "dacryocyst" is the lacrimal sac that drains tears from the eye, and "dacryology" is the study of tears. The English word for tears, "tear," comes from Old English "tēar," a separate source from the verb "tear" meaning to rip, which comes from "teran."