Teardrop
/ˈtɪr.drɑːp/noun
A single drop of liquid that falls from the eye during crying or watering.
Did you know?The word combines two Old English elements, while the word tear meaning “rip” comes from an entirely different Germanic root despite being spelled identically.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dakru-
“Tear or the fluid shed from the eye”
Ancient Greek
Greek
dakry
“Tear; the source of scientific forms such as dacry-”
Old English
Old English
tēar
“Tear from the eye”
Old English
Old English
dropa
“A drop or small globule of liquid”
14th Century
Middle English
terdrop
“A drop of tears; an early form of the compound”
Modern English
English
teardrop
“A single tear or something shaped like one”
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