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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

4 entries under this word

Tear

Tēar, n.

noun

n. [A-S. tæher, tær, tear, Goth. tagr, O. Fries. & Icel. tār, Sw. tår, Dan. taare, O. H. Ger. zahar, N. H. Ger. zähre; Ir. dear, Gael. deur, W. daigr; Gr. δάκρυ, δάκρυον, δάκρυμα, Lat. lacrima, for O. Lat. dacrima.]

Sense 1. A drop of the limpid fluid secreted by the lachrymal gland, and appearing in the eyes, or flowing from them.

Sense 2. Something in the form of a transparent drop of fluid matter; also, a solid, transparent, tear-shaped drop, as of some balsams or resins.

Sense 3. A lament; a dirge. [Rare.] “The meed of some melodious tear.” Milton.

☞ Tear is sometimes used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, tear-distilling, tear-drop, tear-filled, tear-stained, and the like.

Teâr, v. t.

verbtransitive

(târ), v. t. [imp. TORE (TARE, obs.); p. p. TORN; p. pr. & vb. n. TEARING.] [A-S. teran, O. Sax. terian, Goth. tairan, L. Ger. teren, tiren, D. teren, O. D. terren, Sw. tära, Dan. täre, O. H. Ger. zeran, zerjan, N. H. Ger. zehren, zerren, allied to Lat. terere, Gr. τείρειν.] 1. To separate by violence; to pull apart by force; to rend; to lacerate; as, to tear cloth; to tear a garment; to tear the skin or flesh. The women beat their breasts, their cheeks they tear. Shak.

  1. Hence, to divide by violent measures; to shatter; to rend; as, a state or government torn by factions.
  2. To pull with violence; as, to tear the hair.
  3. To move violently. “Or on rough seas from their foundation torn.” Dryden. “Torn ocean’s roar.” Byron.

To tear a cat, to rant violently; to rave. [Obs.] Shak. — To tear from, to separate and take away by force; as, an isle torn from its possessor. The hand of fate Has torn thee from me. Addison. — To tear off, to pull off by violence; to strip. — To tear out, to pull or draw out by violence; as, to tear out the eyes. — To tear up, to rip up; to remove from a fixed state by violence; as, to tear up a floor; to tear up the foundations of government or order.

Teâr, v. i.

verbintransitive

To move and act with turbulent violence; to rush with violence; hence, to rage; to rave.

Teār, n.

noun

n. A rent; a fissure.