tear Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a drop of the clear salty saline solution secreted by the lacrimal glands
    teardrop.
    • his story brought tears to her eyes
  2. noun an opening made forcibly as by pulling apart
    split; rent; rip; snag.
    • there was a rip in his pants
    • she had snags in her stockings
  3. noun an occasion for excessive eating or drinking
    binge; bout; bust.
    • they went on a bust that lasted three days
  4. noun the act of tearing
    • he took the manuscript in both hands and gave it a mighty tear
  5. verb separate or cause to separate abruptly
    snap; rupture; bust.
    • The rope snapped
    • tear the paper
  6. verb to separate or be separated by force
    • planks were in danger of being torn from the crossbars
  7. verb move quickly and violently
    shoot; charge; shoot down; buck.
    • The car tore down the street
    • He came charging into my office
  8. verb strip of feathers
    deplumate; pull; pluck; deplume; displume.
    • pull a chicken
    • pluck the capon
  9. verb fill with tears or shed tears
    • Her eyes were tearing

WordNet

Tear noun
Etymology
AS. teár; akin to G. zärhe, OHG. zahar, OFries. & Icel. tar, Sw. tår, Dan. taare, Goth. tagr, OIr. der, W. dagr, OW. dacr, L. lacrima, lacruma, for older dacruma, Gr. , , . *59. Cf. Lachrymose.
Definitions
  1. (Physiol.) A drop of the limpid, saline fluid secreted, normally in small amount, by the lachrymal gland, and diffused between the eye and the eyelids to moisten the parts and facilitate their motion. Ordinarily the secretion passes through the lachrymal duct into the nose, but when it is increased by emotion or other causes, it overflows the lids.
    And yet for thee ne wept she never a tear. Chaucer.
  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.
    Let Araby extol her happy coast, Her fragrant flowers, her trees with precious tears. Dryden.
  3. That which causes or accompanies tears; a lament; a dirge. R. "Some melodous tear." Milton. ✍ Tear is sometimes used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, tear-distilling, tear-drop, tear-filled, tear-stained, and the like.
Tear transitive verb
Etymology
OE. teren, AS. teran; akin to OS. farterian to destroy, D. teren to consume, G. zerren to pull, to tear, zehren to consume, Icel. tæra, Goth. gataíran to destroy, Lith. dirti to flay, Russ. drate to pull, to tear, Gr. to flay, Skr. dar to burst. *63. Cf. Darn, Epidermis, Tarre, Tirade.
Wordforms
imperfect Tore ((obsolete Tare) ; past participle Torn ; present participle & verbal noun Tearing
Definitions
  1. To separate by violence; to pull apart by force; to rend; to lacerate; as, to tear cloth; to tear a garment; to tear the skin or flesh.
    Tear him to pieces; he's a conspirator. Shak.
  2. Hence, to divide by violent measures; to disrupt; to rend; as, a party or government torn by factions.
  3. To rend away; to force away; to remove by force; to sunder; as, a child torn from its home.
    The hand of fate Hath torn thee from me. Addison.
  4. To pull with violence; as, to tear the hair.
  5. To move violently; to agitate. "Once I loved torn ocean's roar." Byron. tear sheet, (a) a sheet usu. with performations, intended to be torn from a book or booklet to be used for some purpose. (b) any sheet torn from a publication.
Tear intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To divide or separate on being pulled; to be rent; as, this cloth tears easily.
  2. To move and act with turbulent violence; to rush with violence; hence, to rage; to rave.
Tear noun
Definitions
  1. The act of tearing, or the state of being torn; a rent; a fissure. Macaulay.

Webster 1913