As a noun, a tear is a drop of salty liquid that comes from your eyes when you cry or when your eyes are irritated. As a verb, to tear means to rip or pull something apart, like paper or fabric.
The 'tear' from eyes comes from Old English 'tēar', related to German 'Träne' and Latin 'lacrima', all meaning 'tear'. The 'tear' meaning 'rip' comes from Old English 'teran' meaning 'to tear or lacerate', from a Proto-Germanic root for 'to rip'.
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