TEAR

Definitions

1. 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. Tear him to pieces; he's a conspirator. Shak.
2. 2. Hence, to divide by violent measures; to disrupt; to rend; as, a party or government torn by factions.
3. 3. To rend away; to force away; to remove by force; to sunder; as, a child torn from its home. The hand of fate Hath torn thee from me. Addison.
4. 4. To pull with violence; as, to tear the hair.
5. 5. To move violently; to agitate. "Once I loved torn ocean's roar." Byron. To tear a cat, to rant violently; to rave; -- especially applied to theatrical ranting. [Obs.] Shak. -- To tear down, to demolish violently; to pull or pluck down. -- 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 foundation of government or order.