sternutatory n a chemical substance that causes sneezing and coughing and crying police used a sternutatory to subdue the mob a tending to cause sneezing s causing sneezing pepper is a sternutatory substance Usage(s) In small concentrations, these gases have a sternutatory (sneeze causing) effect and in larger concentrations cause acute pain similar to but more violent than that caused by . Synonym(s) sternutator sternutative