verb / noun
tear
TAIR/ter/
To pull apart forcefully.
Hands tear a sheet of blank paper down the middle.
Etymology
Old English teran described pulling something apart by force or lacerating it. The modern sense preserves that physical image: force separates or damages something that was whole.
In context
… her passage began to tear the tops off the tallest buildings …
More examples
- Be careful not to tear the bag.
- There is a small tear in my jacket.
- The fabric has torn along the seam.
- The kids tear down the hallway toward the kitchen.
Forms
tear · tears · tore · torn · tearing