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Tear

//tɛə// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun

1
A hole or break caused by tearing.
"A small tear is easy to mend, if it is on the seam."
2
A drop of clear, salty liquid produced from the eyes by crying or irritation.
"Big tears streamed from Lisa's eyes, rolling down her cheeks."
3
the act of tearing wordnet
4
A rampage. slang
"to go on a tear"
5
Something in the form of a transparent drop of fluid matter; also, a solid, transparent, tear-shaped drop, as of some balsams or resins.
"Let Araby extol her happy coast, / Her fragrant flowers, her trees with precious tears."

Show 5 more definitions

6
an occasion for excessive eating or drinking wordnet
7
A partially vitrified bit of clay in glass.
8
a drop of the clear salty saline solution secreted by the lacrimal glands wordnet
9
That which causes or accompanies tears; a lament; a dirge.
"Without meed of some melodious tear. Begin then, Sisters of the sacred well [...]"
10
an opening made forcibly as by pulling apart wordnet

Verb

1
To rend (a solid material) by holding or restraining in two places and pulling apart, whether intentionally or not; to destroy or separate. transitive
"He tore his coat on the nail."
2
To produce tears. intransitive
"Her eyes began to tear in the harsh wind."
3
fill with tears or shed tears wordnet
4
To injure as if by pulling apart. transitive
"He tore some muscles in a weight-lifting accident."
5
strip of feathers wordnet

Show 11 more definitions

6
To destroy or reduce abstract unity or coherence, such as social, political or emotional. transitive
"He was torn by conflicting emotions."
7
to separate or be separated by force wordnet
8
To make (an opening) with force or energy. transitive
"A piece of debris tore a tiny straight channel through the satellite."
9
separate or cause to separate abruptly wordnet
10
To remove by tearing, or with sudden great force. often, transitive
"Tear the coupon out of the newspaper."
11
move quickly and violently wordnet
12
To demolish. transitive, with-down
"The slums were torn down to make way for the new development."
13
To become torn, especially accidentally. intransitive
"My dress has torn."
14
To move or act with great speed, energy, or violence. intransitive
"He went tearing down the hill at 90 miles per hour."
15
To smash or enter something with great force. intransitive
"The chain shot tore into the approaching line of infantry."
16
To be interrupted midway through. intransitive
"torn write"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English teren, from Old English teran (“to tear, lacerate”), from Proto-Germanic *teraną (“to tear, tear apart, rip”), from Proto-Indo-European *der- (“to tear, tear apart”). Cognate with Scots tere, teir, tair (“to rend, lacerate, wound, rip, tear out”), Dutch teren (“to eliminate, efface, live, survive by consumption”), German zehren (“to consume, misuse”), German zerren (“to tug, rip, tear”), Danish tære (“to consume”), Swedish tära (“to fret, consume, deplete, use up”), Icelandic tæra (“to clear, corrode”). Outside Germanic, cognate to Ancient Greek δέρω (dérō, “to skin”), Albanian ther (“to slay, skin, pierce”). Doublet of tire.

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

From Middle English teer (“tear”), from Old English tēar, from Proto-West Germanic *tahr, from Proto-Germanic *tahrą (“tear”), from Proto-Indo-European *dáḱru- (“tears”). Cognates include Old Norse tár (Danish tåre and Norwegian tåre), Old High German zahar (German Zähre), Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌲𐍂 (tagr), Irish deoir and Latin lacrima.

Etymology 4

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