To tear down

To tear down
Tear Tear (t[^a]r), v. t. [imp. {Tore} (t[=o]r), ((Obs. {Tare}) (t[^a]r); p. p. {Torn} (t[=o]rn); p. pr. & vb. n. {Tearing}.] [OE. teren, AS. teran; akin to OS. farterian to destroy, D. teren to consume, G. zerren to pull, to tear, zehren to consume, Icel. t[ae]ra, Goth. gata['i]ran to destroy, Lith. dirti to flay, Russ. drate to pull, to tear, Gr. de`rein to flay, Skr. dar to burst. [root]63. Cf. {Darn}, {Epidermis}, {Tarre}, {Tirade}.] 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. [1913 Webster]

Tear him to pieces; he's a conspirator. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. Hence, to divide by violent measures; to disrupt; to rend; as, a party or government torn by factions. [1913 Webster]

3. To rend away; to force away; to remove by force; to sunder; as, a child torn from its home. [1913 Webster]

The hand of fate Hath torn thee from me. --Addison. [1913 Webster]

4. To pull with violence; as, to tear the hair. [1913 Webster]

5. To move violently; to agitate. ``Once I loved torn ocean's roar.'' --Byron. [1913 Webster]

{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. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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