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| tear [ ter ] |
verb (past tore [ tawr ], past participle torn [ tawrn ], present participle tear·ing, 3rd person present singular tears) |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive and intransitive verb pull or come apart: to pull something such as paper or cloth into pieces, or come apart or rip
  She tore open the package.
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2. transitive verb make hole in something: to make a hole or opening in something such as a garment, leaving jagged edges
tore her skirt on a nail
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3. transitive verb cut something unevenly: to cut something, especially flesh, leaving jagged edges
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4. transitive verb sprain body part: to injure a muscle or ligament so that some of the tissue is pulled apart and separated
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5. transitive verb separate something by force: to remove or separate something using force
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6. transitive and intransitive verb cause mental pain: to cause somebody extreme distress or emotional conflict
The memory tore at his heart.
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7. transitive verb disrupt something: to divide or fragment something
an organization that was torn by internal conflict
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8. intransitive verb move or act quickly or carelessly: to move or act with great or careless speed
(
informal
)
tearing down the road
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noun (plural tears) |
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| Definition: |
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1. result of tearing: a hole or split caused by tearing
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2. tearing of something: an act of tearing something
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3. hurry: a hurry or rush
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4. spree: an unrestrained activity or indulgence
(
informal
)
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| [ Old English teran< Indo-European, "to split"] |
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| tear·a·ble adjective |
| tear·er noun |
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| Word Key: Synonyms |
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tear, rend, rip, split
CORE MEANING: to pull or come apart by force
tear to pull something such as paper or cloth into pieces, or come apart;
He tore the paper into little strips.
She was always climbing trees and tearing her clothes.
rend to pull something apart violently, or be pulled apart violently;
Something exploded with a sound of rending wood and metal and shattering glass.
rip to roughly tear something apart or off, or become torn in this way;
She ripped open the envelope.
You can't wear those flimsy clothes skateboarding - if you fall off, you'll rip them to shreds.
split to divide something with a single movement, usually by force and into two parts;
found him splitting wood to start a fire
Split the cake in half horizontally and sandwich it together with frosting. |
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