Lacrimate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To produce or weep tears, especially in response to emotion or physical irritation
2. To shed tears from the eyes, whether from sorrow, joy, or a reflex response
3. To cry or produce tears as a physiological or emotional response

Etymology: "Lacrimate" is a verb meaning to shed tears, and its roots run back to the Latin word for tear. The Latin "lacrima" gave English both the stem of the word and the suffix "-ate," an adjectival ending that English took over from Latin. Put together, the pieces describe something that produces tears, and the verb built on that base simply means to weep or to secrete tears. The word is a plain formation rather than a story of invention or surprise. Its shape is tied closely to the Latin verb "lacrimare," meaning to weep, from which its participial stem comes, so the English verb carries the same sense of crying that the Romans used. Its meaning has stayed remarkably steady across the centuries, with no dramatic shift to report.

Synonyms: cry, weep, tear