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tear

n. · v.
US //ˈtɛɹ// tear
Irregular verb past tore past participle torn
  1. 1 from the eye (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a drop of salty liquid that comes from your eye when you cry or feel pain.

    a drop of clear, saline liquid secreted by the lacrimal glands in response to emotion or irritation.

    Example

    A single tear ran down her cheek as she said goodbye to her friend.

    Example

    The actor's ability to produce a tear on command during the final scene left the audience in stunned silence.
  2. 2 a hole (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a hole or split in something like paper, cloth, or skin.

    a hole or opening produced by pulling a material apart with force.

    Example

    He noticed a small tear in his jacket after walking through the bushes.

    Example

    The restorer carefully examined the tear in the canvas, determining that the structural integrity of the painting remained intact.
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  1. 3 to pull apart (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to pull something apart into pieces using force.

    to pull a material apart by force; transitive when an object is being destroyed and intransitive when the material fails.

    Example

    Be careful not to tear the wrapping paper while you open the gift.

    Example

    The high winds threatened to tear the sails, forcing the crew to lower them before the storm reached its peak.
  2. 4 to move fast (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    to move very quickly or with a lot of energy.

    to move or act with great speed or violence. Often used with a directional preposition.

    Example

    The kids were tearing around the garden all afternoon.

    Example

    The car went tearing down the narrow street, narrowly missing the parked vehicles on the corner.
  3. 5 a rampage (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal American English

    a period of time where someone does something with a lot of energy or success.

    a period of intense activity or a streak of success, often used in sports or business contexts.

    Example

    The team has been on a tear lately, winning their last five games.

    Example

    After the new CEO took over, the company went on a tear, acquiring three smaller competitors in less than six months.
  4. 6 computing (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Computing

    a visual error on a screen where the top and bottom of a picture do not match.

    a visual artifact in video display where information from two or more frames is shown in a single screen draw.

    Example

    I enabled vertical sync to stop the screen tear during the game.

    Example

    The reviewer noted significant horizontal tear during high-motion sequences, suggesting the graphics driver required further optimisation.
    • screen tearing
Etymology 1

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 (“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 δέρω (dérō, “to skin”), Albanian ther (“to slay, skin, pierce”). Doublet of tire.

Etymology 2

From Middle English teer (“tear”), from Old English tēar, from Proto-West Germanic tahr, 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 (tagr), Irish deoir and Latin lacrima.

Word family
Idioms8 entries

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