I. ˈti(ə)r, ˈtiə noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English ter, tere, tear, from Old English tēar, tæhher, teagor; akin to Old High German zahar tear, Old Norse tār, Gothic tagr, Old Latin dacruma, Latin lacrima, Greek dakry
1.
a. : a drop of the clear saline fluid secreted normally in small amount by the lacrimal gland, diffused between the eye and the eyelids to moisten the parts and facilitate their motion, and passed ordinarily through the nasolacrimal duct into the nose
b. tears plural : a secretion of profuse tears that overflow the eyelids and dampen the face
2. tears plural
a. : an act of weeping
break into tears
found the child in tears over her broken doll
b. : an act of grieving
3.
a. : a transparent drop of fluid or hardened fluid matter (as resin)
b. : rupert's drop
4. : undissolved material or a partially vitrified bit of clay in glass
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English teren, from ter, tere, tear
intransitive verb
: to fill with tears : shed tears
eyes tearing in the November wind — Saul Bellow
transitive verb
: to cause to flow or fill with tears
sudden pity teared his sight
III. ˈta(a)](ə)r, ˈte], ]ə verb
( tore ˈtō(ə)r, ˈtȯ(ə)r, -ōə, -ȯ(ə) ; or archaic tare ˈta(a)](ə)r, ˈte], ]ə ; torn ˈtō(ə)rn, ˈtȯ(ə)rn, -ōən, -ȯ(ə)n ; or archaic tare ; tearing ; tears )
Etymology: Middle English teren, from Old English teran; akin to Old High German zeran to destroy, Gothic gatairan to tear, destroy, Greek derein to skin, flay, Sanskrit dṛṇāti he tears, bursts
transitive verb
1.
a. : to divide (as a piece of fabric or paper) forcefully or violently into parts
tear a letter in half
b. : to make a rent in
tear a coat on a nail
c. : to wound by slashing or lacerating
tear the skin
d. : to shatter or destroy usually as if by tearing
tear the place apart
the explosion tore the town to pieces
2.
a. : to split or disrupt emotionally and violently by presenting with a compulsory choice between unacceptable or equally pressing alternatives
torn between love and hate
torn by conflicting loyalties
b. : disrupt or throw into confusion by violent oppositions as between parties or factions
torn by factional disputes and religious dissension
c. : to affect violently as if by lacerating
torn by doubts
torn by anarchy
thunderbolt tore the heavens
3.
a. : to pull, wrench, or remove by force or violent means
tear a weapon from the agent's grasp
tear a glove away from a dog
tore out his hair by the roots
tear some pages out of a book
tear a cover off a box
b. : to force as if by pulling or wrenching
tried to tear his eyes from the scene
try to tear your thoughts from the past
a reply torn from the heart
4. : to cut (a hole, a path) by violent means
tear a hole in the wall
the flood tore a … gorge through the township — American Guide Series: Vermont
intransitive verb
1. : to divide, separate, or develop breaks or rents on being subjected to pulling laceration, snagging
this cloth tears easily
the stocking tore when it caught on the nail
2. : to run, move, or act with great speed, impetus. or force or without restraint or check
automobiles … in which the rich could tear noisily along — F.L.Allen
tore up the stairs two steps at a time
Synonyms:
rip , rend , split , cleave , rive : tear implies a forcible, somewhat crude, pulling or wrenching part from part, as of a fabric, or pulling or wrenching away, usually so that ragged or irregular edges result
tear a newspaper in half
a Roman citizen was torn to pieces by the infuriated populace of Thebes — Agnes Repplier
tear a photograph out of an album
rip implies a less crude, often purposeful, pulling part from part, as of a fabric in a rapid, uninterrupted action often along a straight line, grain, or seam or so that more or less straight edges result
the woman ripped the pages out of the book, neatly, one by one
rend is more rhetorical than rip or tear and suggests greater violence than either
rend your hearts and not your garments — Joel 2:13 (Revised Standard Version)
the black volume of clouds … rent asunder by flashes of lightning — Washington Irving
cleave implies very forceful, often violent, cutting into or separation of part from part, as of a substance more solid than fabric
struck the final blow, cleaving the archbishop's skull — E.V.Lucas
Norse vessels cleaving the channel with high and figured prows — Will Durant
split suggests a more precise though forceful cutting or separation of part from part than cleave , usually along a grain or seam or between layers
split a log for firewood
mines opened, forests planted, and racks split — William Wordsworth
rive suggests an action similar to split or cleave but rougher, more violent
the oak was struck and riven by lightning — George Santayana
even in the days of the riven atom — Vannevar Bush
Synonym: see in addition rush .
•
- tear at
- tear into
- tear it
- tear one's hair
IV. noun
( -s )
1. : the act of tearing : damage from being torn — used chiefly in the phrase wear and tear
2.
a. : a hole or flaw made by tearing : rent
mending a tear in her skirt
b. : a crack in a casting
3.
a. : a tearing pace : violent rush : flurry
the train went by at a tear
b. : a state of headlong urgency or eagerness : great hurry
why are you in such a tear to get home
c. : spree
go on a tear
V. adjective
Etymology: Middle English teer, tere, ter, from Middle Dutch teder, teer tender, delicate; akin to Old English tīeder weak, delicate
obsolete : delicate , dainty , fine
VI. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English teer, from teer delicate, fine
1. archaic : something (as flax or hemp) of the finest quality
2. : the proportion of top to noil in combing wool
VII. verb
•
- tear a strip off
VIII. noun
Etymology: tear (IV)
: a run of unusual success
the team was on a tear