Lacrima

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A drop of clear fluid, typically produced by the eyes as a response to emotion or irritation
2. a manifestation of sorrow or pain expressed through tears
3. an element found in various texts symbolizing grief or longing through the act of weeping

Etymology: Latin "lacrima" simply meant "tear," the liquid that falls from the eye. Its ancestry is closer to English than most readers expect. English "tear" in this sense comes from the same ancient root, and Greek "dakryon" belongs to the same family. Latin likely shifted an early "d" sound to "l" along the way, a change that explains why the Greek and Latin forms look so different. Because tears were a visible sign of distress, Latin writers used "lacrima" as a shorthand for sorrow and longing. The word therefore carried an emotional meaning that went beyond the physical fluid, which is why it could stand for grief in a literary passage without further explanation. English took the Latin root for medical and descriptive terms such as "lachrymal," meaning relating to tears.

Synonyms: tear, drop, teardrop