Tear v. t. (past tore, obs. tare; past part. torn; pres. part. tearing) 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."
2.Hence, to divide by violent measures; to disrupt; to rend; as, a party or government torn by factions.
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."
4.To pull with violence; as, to tear the hair.
5.To move violently; to agitate. "Once I loved torn ocean's roar."
To tear a cat, to rant violently; to rave; especially applied to theatrical ranting. (Obs.)
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.
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