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Definition tear

Etymology 1

From Middle English teren, from Old English teran (“to tear, lacerate”), from Proto-Germanic *teran? (“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 ???? (dér?, “to skin”), Albanian ther (“to slay, skin, pierce”). Doublet of tire.

Verb

tear (third-person singular simple present tears, present participle tearing, simple past tore, past participle torn)

1. (transitive) To rend (a solid material) by holding or restraining in two places and pulling apart, whether intentionally or not; to destroy or separate.
2. (transitive) To injure as if by pulling apart.
3. (transitive) To destroy or reduce abstract unity or coherence, such as social, political or emotional.
4. (transitive) To make (an opening) with force or energy.
5. (transitive, often with off or out) To remove by tearing.
6. (transitive, of structures, with down) To demolish
7. (intransitive) To become torn, especially accidentally.
8. (intransitive) To move or act with great speed, energy, or violence.
9. (intransitive) To smash or enter something with great force.

Noun

tear (plural tears)

1. A hole or break caused by tearing.
2. (slang) A rampage.

Etymology 2

From Middle English teer, ter, tere, tear, from Old English t?ar, t?r, tæhher, teagor, *teahor (“drop; tear; what is distilled from anything in drops, nectar”), from Proto-Germanic *tahr? (“tear”), from Proto-Indo-European *dá?ru- (“tears”). Cognates include Old Norse tár (Danish tåre and Norwegian tåre), Old High German zahar (German Zähre), Gothic ???? (tagr) and Latin lacrima.

Noun

tear (plural tears)

1. A drop of clear, salty liquid produced from the eyes by crying or irritation.
2. Something in the form of a transparent drop of fluid matter; also, a solid, transparent, tear-shaped drop, as of some balsams or resins.
3. (glass manufacture) A partially vitrified bit of clay in glass.
4. That which causes or accompanies tears; a lament; a dirge.

Verb

tear (third-person singular simple present tears, present participle tearing, simple past and past participle teared)

1. (intransitive) To produce tears.

Results 424 Words with the letters TEAR

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