tear

{{11}}tear (n.¹) "water from the eye," O.E. tear, from earlier teahor, tæhher, from P.Gmc. *takh-, *tagr- (Cf. O.N., O.Fris. tar, O.H.G. zahar, Ger. Zähre, Goth. tagr "tear"), from PIE *dakru-/*draku- (Cf. L. lacrima, Old L. dacrima, Ir. der, Welsh deigr, Gk. dakryma). Tear gas first recorded 1917.

{{12}}tear (n.²) "act of ripping or rending," 1660s, from TEAR (Cf. tear) (v.¹).

{{12}}tear (v.¹) "pull apart," O.E. teran (class IV strong verb; past tense tær, pp. toren), from P.Gmc. *teran (Cf. O.S. terian, M.Du. teren "to consume," O.H.G. zeran "to destroy," Ger. zehren, Goth. ga-tairan "to tear, destroy"), from PIE *der- "tear" (Cf. Skt. drnati "cleaves, bursts," Gk. derein "to flay," Arm. terem "I flay," O.C.S. dera "to burst asunder," Bret. darn "piece").

The Old English past tense survived long enough to get into Bible translations as tare before giving place 17c. to tore, which is from the old pp. toren. Sense of "to pull by force" (away from some situation or attachment) is attested from late 13c. To be torn between two things (desires, loyalties, etc.) is from 1871.

{{13}}tear (v.²) 1650s, mainly in American English, from TEAR (Cf. tear) (n.¹). Related: Teared; tearing. Old English verb tæherian did not survive into Middle English.