tear gas

/ˌtɪər ˈgæs/

/tɛə gæs/

Other forms: tear gases

To control crowds during protests or events, tear gas is sometimes used because it is a nonlethal chemical weapon that makes people's eyes water and causes them to cough, forcing them to move away from the area.

Tear gas gets its name due to the intense eye-watering effect it has on those unlucky enough to be caught in its cloud. In addition to eye irritation, exposure to tear gas also causes difficulty breathing. It is often used by police or military forces to avoid using deadly force during conflicts with crowds. Despite its name, tear gas is not actually a gas; it is a fine powder or liquid aerosol.

Definitions of tear gas

1. noun

   a gas that makes the eyes fill with tears but does not damage them; used in dispersing crowds
   synonyms: lachrymator, lacrimator, teargas

   types:

   CS gas, chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile

   a tear gas that is stronger than CN gas but wears off faster; can be deployed by grenades or cluster bombs; can cause skin burns and fatal pulmonary edema

   CN gas, chloroacetophenone

   a tear gas that is weaker than CS gas but lasts longer

   nitrochloromethane

   gaseous form of chloropicrin used as tear gas

   Chemical Mace, Mace, mace

   (trademark) a liquid that temporarily disables a person; prepared as an aerosol and sprayed in the face, it irritates the eyes and causes dizziness and immobilization

   type of:

   chemical weapon

   chemical substances that can be delivered using munitions and dispersal devices to cause death or severe harm to people and animals and plants

   gas

   a fluid in the gaseous state having neither independent shape nor volume and being able to expand indefinitely