Tear v. t. [imp. Tore ((Obs. Tare) p. p. Torn p. pr. & vb. n. 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.   --Shak.
 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.   --Addison.
 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.] --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.