1. Separate or cause to separate abruptly
   "tear the paper";
   - rupture, snap, bust [informal]
    
2. To separate or be separated by force
   "The strong wind tore the banner from the wall"
    
3. [informal] Move quickly and violently
   "The car tore down the street";
   - shoot, shoot down, charge, buck, bomb [Brit, informal], scream [informal]
    
4. Remove feathers
   "tear the capon";
   - pluck, pull, deplume, deplumate [rare], displume [rare]

1. An opening made forcibly as by pulling apart
   "there was a tear in his pants";
   - rip, rent, snag, split
    
2. The act of tearing
   "he took the manuscript in both hands and gave it a mighty tear"
    
3. [US, informal] An occasion for excessive eating or drinking
   "They went on a three-day tear";
   - bust [informal], binge [informal], bout

1. A drop of the clear salty saline solution secreted by the lacrimal glands
   - teardrop

1. Fill with tears or shed tears
   "Her eyes were tearing"

Sounds like: tax, tea or tears, tiers

Derived forms: tears, torn, teared, tore, tearing

Type of: barrel [informal], belt [informal], belt along [informal], bucket [informal], bucket along [informal], cry, disunite, divide, drib [informal], driblet, drop, gap, hasten, hie [archaic], hotfoot, hurry, opening, part, pelt [informal], pelt along [informal], race, revel, revelry, rocket [informal], rush, rush along, separate, separation, speed, step on it [informal], strip, travel rapidly, weep, whizz [informal], whizz along [informal], wing [informal], zip [informal], zoom, zoom along [informal]

Part of: lachrymal secretion, lacrimal secretion

Encyclopedia: Tear, Robert