\Tear\, n. (Glass Manuf.)
A partially vitrified bit of clay in glass.
{Tears of St. Lawrence}, the Perseid shower of meteors, seen
   every year on or about the eve of St. Lawrence, August
   9th.
{T. of wine}, drops which form and roll down a glass above
   the surface of strong wine. The phenomenon is due to the
   evaporation of alcohol from the surface layer, which,
   becoming more watery, increases in surface tension and
   creeps up the sides until its weight causes it to break.

\Tear\ (t[=e]r), n. [AS. te['a]r; akin to G. z["a]rhe, OHG.
zahar, OFries. & Icel. t[=a]r, Sw. t[*a]r, Dan. taare, Goth.
tagr, OIr. d[=e]r, W. dagr, OW. dacr, L. lacrima, lacruma,
for older dacruma, Gr. da`kry, da`kryon, da`kryma. [root]59.
Cf. {Lachrymose}.]
1. (Physiol.) A drop of the limpid, saline fluid secreted,
   normally in small amount, by the lachrymal gland, and
   diffused between the eye and the eyelids to moisten the
   parts and facilitate their motion. Ordinarily the
   secretion passes through the lachrymal duct into the nose,
   but when it is increased by emotion or other causes, it
   overflows the lids.
         And yet for thee ne wept she never a tear.
                                               --Chaucer.
2. Something in the form of a transparent drop of fluid
   matter; also, a solid, transparent, tear-shaped drop, as
   of some balsams or resins.
         Let Araby extol her happy coast, Her fragrant
         flowers, her trees with precious tears. --Dryden.
3. That which causes or accompanies tears; a lament; a dirge.
   [R.] ``Some melodous tear.'' --Milton.
Note: Tear is sometimes used in the formation of
      self-explaining compounds; as, tear-distilling,
      tear-drop, tear-filled, tear-stained, and the like.

\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.
         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.'' --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.

\Tear\, v. i.
1. To divide or separate on being pulled; to be rent; as,
   this cloth tears easily.
2. To move and act with turbulent violence; to rush with
   violence; hence, to rage; to rave.

\Tear\, n.
The act of tearing, or the state of being torn; a rent; a
fissure. --Macaulay.
{Wear and tear}. See under {Wear}, n.