tear

English

/tɛə/, /tɛɚ/, /tɪə/, /tɪɚ/

verb
Definitions
  • (transitive) To rend (a solid material) by holding or restraining in two places and pulling apart, whether intentionally or not; to destroy or separate.
  • (transitive) To injure as if by pulling apart.
  • (transitive) To destroy or reduce abstract unity or coherence, such as social, political or emotional.
  • (transitive) To make (an opening) with force or energy.
  • (transitive) To remove by tearing.
  • (transitive) To demolish
  • (intransitive) To become torn, especially accidentally.
  • (intransitive) To move or act with great speed, energy, or violence.
  • (intransitive) To smash or enter something with great force.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English teren inherited from Old English teran (tear, lacerate) inherited from Proto-Germanic *teraną (tear, tear apart, tear away, tug, rip snatch off, pull violently, rip, pull off) derived from Proto-Indo-European *der- (tear, split, tear apart, flay, crack, cleave, separate, shatter, rive, pluck, splitVerb), *der- (tear, split, tear apart, flay, crack, cleave, separate, shatter, rive, pluck, splitVerb).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*der-

Gloss

tear, split, tear apart, flay, crack, cleave, separate, shatter, rive, pluck, splitVerb

Concept
Semantic Field

Emotions and values

Ontological Category

Action/Process

Kanji

泪, 涙

Emoji
🤣 💧 😂 😢 😭 😹 😿 🥲

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms