| tear film | A protective film, 7 to 9 nm thick, consisting of external oily, intermediate watery, and deep mucoprotein layers. Synonym: tear film. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| tear gas | A gas, such as acetone, benzene bromide, and xylol, that causes irritation of the conjunctiva and profuse lacrimation. See: lacrimator. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tear gases | Gases that irritate the eyes, throat, or skin. Severe lacrimation develops upon irritation of the eyes. (12 Dec 1998) |
| tear sac | The upper portion of the nasolacrimal duct into which empty the two lacrimal canaliculi; empty. Synonym: saccus lacrimalis, dacryocyst, sacculus lacrimalis, tear sac. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tear stone | A concretion in the lacrimal apparatus. Synonym: lacrimal calculus, ophthalmolith, tear stone. Origin: dacryo-+ G. Lithos, stone (05 Mar 2000) |
| tear-thumb | <botany> A name given to several species of plants of the genus Polygonum, having angular stems beset with minute reflexed prickles. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| tearing | 1. <medicine> The watery eye; a disease in which the tears accumulate in the eye, and trickle over the cheek. 2. The emphatic repetition of a word or phrase, at the end of several sentences or stanzas. Origin: L, fr. Gr, fr. To bring to or upon; + to bring. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| tearing mode | <radiobiology> A resistive magnetohydrodynamic instability which is spatially localised near a rational surface and which grows at a rate slower than the magnetohydrodynamic Alfven rate, but faster than the resistive skin diffusion rate. The instability tears magnetic field lines and reconnects them into a new state of lower magnetic energy. Synonym: tearing instability (09 Oct 1997) |
| tearpit | <anatomy> A cavity or pouch beneath the lower eyelid of most deer and antelope; the lachrymal sinus; larmier. It is capable of being opened at pleasure and secretes a waxy substance. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| tears | The watery secretion of the lacrimal glands which serve to moisten the conjunctiva; the secretion is slightly alkaline and saline. (12 Dec 1998) |
| tease | 1. To comb or card, as wool or flax. "Teasing matted wool." 2. To stratch, as cloth, for the purpose of raising a nap; teasel. 3. <anatomy> To tear or separate into minute shreds, as with needles or similar instruments. 4. To vex with importunity or impertinence; to harass, annoy, disturb, or irritate by petty requests, or by jests and raillery; to plague. "He . . . Suffered them to tease him into acts directly opposed to his strongest inclinations." (Macaulay) Synonym: To vex, harass: annoy, disturb, irritate, plague, torment, mortify, tantalize, chagrin. Tease, Vex. To tease is literally to pull or scratch, and implies a prolonged annoyance in respect to little things, which is often more irritating, and harder to bear, than severe pain. Vex meant originally to seize and bear away hither and thither, and hence, to disturb; as, to vex the ocean with storms. This sense of the term now rarely occurs; but vex is still a stronger word than tease, denoting the disturbance or anger created by minor provocations, losses, disappointments, etc. We are teased by the buzzing of a fly in our eyes; we are vexed by the carelessness or stupidity of our servants. "Not by the force of carnal reason, But indefatigable teasing." (Hudibras) "In disappointments, where the affections have been strongly placed, and the expectations sanguine, particularly where the agency of others is concerned, sorrow may degenerate into vexation and chagrin." (Cogan) Tease tenon, a long tenon at the top of a post to receive two beams crossing each other one above the other. Origin: AS. Tsan to pluck, tease; akin to OD. Teesen, MHG. Zeisen, Dan. Taese, taesse. 58. Cf. Touse. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| teasel | 1. <botany> A plant of the genus Dipsacus, of which one species (D. Fullonum) bears a large flower head covered with stiff, prickly, hooked bracts. This flower head, when dried, is used for raising a nap on woolen cloth. Small teasel is Dipsacus pilosus, wild teasel is D. Sylvestris. 2. A bur of this plant. 3. Any contrivance intended as a substitute for teasels in dressing cloth. Teasel frame, a frame or set of iron bars in which teasel heads are fixed for raising the nap on woolen cloth. Origin: OE. Tesel, AS. Tsel, tsl, the fuller's herb. See Tease Alternative forms: tassel, tazel, teasle, teazel, and teazle. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| teaser | 1. One who teases or vexes. 2. <zoology> A jager gull. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| teaspoon | Like a tablespoon, a teaspoon is an old-fashionned but convenient household measure. A teaspoon holds about 5 cc. Three teaspoons = a tablespoon. (12 Dec 1998) |
| teat | Synonym: nipple, breast, papilla. Origin: A.S. Tit (05 Mar 2000) |