tear, rip, rend, split, cleave, rive mean to separate forcibly. tear implies pulling apart by force and leaving jagged edges.
TEAR definition: 1. to pull or be pulled apart, or to pull pieces off: 2. to move very quickly: 3. a hole in a…. Learn more.
The verb tear often refers to pulling something apart or making a hole — and has a noun form that describes the result of those actions — but it can also describe quick movement.
TEAR definition: a drop of the saline, watery fluid continually secreted by the lacrimal glands between the surface of the eye and the eyelid, serving to moisten and lubricate these parts and keep them clear of foreign particles. See examples of tear used in a sentence.
tear (third-person singular simple present tears, present participle tearing, simple past tore, past participle torn or (now colloquial and nonstandard) tore) He tore his coat on the nail.
Tear definition: To make (an opening) in something by pulling it apart or by accident.
- The act of tearing. 2. The result of tearing; a rip or rent: The shirt has a small tear. 3. A great rush; a hurry. 4. Slang A carousal; a spree.
To tear something from somewhere means to remove it roughly and violently. She tore the windscreen wipers from his car. [VERB noun preposition] He tore down the girl's photograph, and crumpled it into a ball. [VERB noun with adverb]
Definition of tear verb in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.