tear

Meanings

Verb

• To rend (a solid material) by holding or restraining in two places and pulling apart, whether intentionally or not; to destroy or separate.
• To injure as if by pulling apart.
• To destroy or reduce abstract unity or coherence, such as social, political or emotional.
• To make (an opening) with force or energy.
• To remove by tearing.
• To demolish
• To become torn, especially accidentally.
• To move or act with great speed, energy, or violence.
• To smash or enter something with great force.
• To produce tears.

Noun

• A hole or break caused by tearing.
• A rampage.
• A drop of clear, salty liquid produced from the eyes by crying or irritation.
• Something in the form of a transparent drop of fluid matter; also, a solid, transparent, tear-shaped drop, as of some balsams or resins.
• A partially vitrified bit of clay in glass.
• That which causes or accompanies tears; a lament; a dirge.

Related

Similar words

• rend, rip
• rip out, tear off, tear out

Origin

• 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, 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 ("to skin"), Albanian ther ("to slay, skin, pierce"). tire.
• From Middle English teer, ter, tere, tear, from Old English tēar, tǣr, tæhher, teagor, *teahor, from Proto-West Germanic *tah(h)r, 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, Irish deoir and Latin lacrima.