tear ducts
Eye moisture passages
Tear ducts are the small tubes that drain tears from the eyes into the nasal cavity.
When someone cries heavily, the ducts can't keep up, and tears overflow down the cheeks.
Blocked tear ducts in infants cause persistent watering.
The phrase often appears in emotional contexts: That movie really got the tear ducts going.
Shedding tears audibly
- sobbingConvulsive crying aloud
- watery eyesExcess moisture in vision
- tearing upEyes filling with moisture
- bawlingCrying noisily and hard
sniveling · whimpering · blubbering · welling up · misty-eyed · teary · waterworks · crying jag
Coating to reduce friction
- moistureSmall amounts of liquid
- eye protectionGear shielding your vision
- drainageLiquid removal system
- secretionSubstance released by glands
Lacrimal drainage openings
- caruncleSmall fleshy protuberance
- conjunctivaMucous membrane lining eyelids
- corneaEye's clear outer dome
- eyelidMovable ocular covering
Eye disease physician
- probingThoroughly investigating something
- irrigationArtificial water supply for agriculture
- stentingImplanting tubular support
- syringingFlushing with liquid stream
Insufficient tear production
- watery eyesExcess moisture in vision
- Sjögren's syndromeAutoimmune exocrine gland destruction
- obstructionSomething blocking the way
- stenosisAbnormal bodily narrowing
weeping
Shedding tears audibly
- sobbingConvulsive crying aloud
- watery eyesExcess moisture in vision
- tearing upEyes filling with moisture
bawling · sniveling · whimpering · blubbering · welling up · misty-eyed · teary · waterworks · crying jag · emotional release
lubrication
Coating to reduce friction
- moistureSmall amounts of liquid
- eye protectionGear shielding your vision
- drainageLiquid removal system
secretion · blinking · hydration · nourishment · antibacterial
puncta
Lacrimal drainage openings
- caruncleSmall fleshy protuberance
- conjunctivaMucous membrane lining eyelids
- corneaEye's clear outer dome
ophthalmologist
Eye disease physician
- probingThoroughly investigating something
- irrigationArtificial water supply for agriculture
- stentingImplanting tubular support
dry eye
Insufficient tear production
- watery eyesExcess moisture in vision
- Sjögren's syndromeAutoimmune exocrine gland destruction
- obstructionSomething blocking the way
- dry eyedryness, eye drops, burning, irritation, grittiness
- tear systemlacrimal apparatus, lacrimation, tearing, punctum, puncta
- visionsharp, eye, visual perception, sight, eyes
- anatomybrain, heart, bones, liver, stomach
- exocrine glandssalivary glands, sweat glands, mammary glands, submandibular gland, prostate gland
tear, tears, tearful, duct, viaduct, aqueduct, teardrop, ductwork, teary-eyed