Definition
The act of ripping or pulling apart, or in technology, a visual artifact where parts of an image display out of sync.
Etymology
From Old English 'teran' meaning 'to rend or pull apart', related to German 'zerren'. The technical sense in computer graphics developed in the 1980s when screen refresh rates couldn't keep up with image generation, causing visual 'tears'.
Kelly Says
Screen tearing in video games uses the same word we use for ripping paper, showing how physical metaphors help us understand digital problems. When your graphics card and monitor fall out of sync, the visual result literally looks like the image is being torn apart.
Translations
CACatalà
esquinçar
eh-skeen-chahr
CSČeština
trhající
trhah-yee-chee
DEDeutsch
reißend
RAH-ih-sent
ELΕλληνικά
διαρρηγνύς
dee-ah-reh-geen-ees
ESEspañol
desgarrando
dehs-gah-RAHN-doh
FAفارسی
پاره کردن
pah-reh kardan
FISuomi
repivä
reh-pee-vah
FRFrançais
déchirant
deh-sheer-ahnt
HUMagyar
szakító
sah-kee-toh
IDBahasa Indonesia
sobek
soh-behk
ITItaliano
strappando
strah-PAHN-doh
MSBahasa Melayu
mengoyak
meh-ngo-yahk
NLNederlands
scheurend
SKAY-reh-nt
PLPolski
rozrywający
roh-zree-vah-yoosh-chee
PTPortuguês
rasgando
rah-zgah-ndoh
RORomână
sfâșiind
sfoo-ah-sheend
RUРусский
разрывающий
rah-zree-vah-yoosh-chee
SVSvenska
söndrande
soh-ndrah-nde
SWKiswahili
kuvunja
koo-voon-jah
TLTL
lumulog
loo-moo-lohg
TRTürkçe
yırtarak
yur-tah-rakh
UKУкраїнська
розривний
roh-zreev-nee-y
VITiếng Việt
xé toang
zeh toh-ahng