tear, rip, rend, split, cleave, rive mean to separate forcibly. tear implies pulling apart by force and leaving jagged edges.

tear noun (FROM EYES) B1 [ C usually plural ] a drop of salty liquid that flows from the eye, as a result of strong emotion, especially unhappiness, or pain:

Tear involves pulling something apart or into pieces: "She tore the letter in shreds" (Edith Wharton). Rip implies rough or forcible tearing: Carpenters ripped up the old floorboards.

To tear is to split the fibers of something by pulling apart, usually so as to leave ragged or irregular edges: to tear open a letter. Rend implies force or violence in tearing apart or in pieces: to rend one's …

Definition of tear verb in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Tears are the liquid that comes out of your eyes when you cry. If you tear something, you pull it into pieces or make a hole in it.

Tear definition: To make (an opening) in something by pulling it apart or by accident.

A rotator cuff tear causes shoulder pain and makes arm movements difficult. Learn more about the symptoms and treatment.

TEAR definition: to pull apart or in pieces by force, especially so as to leave ragged or irregular edges. See examples of tear used in a sentence.

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.