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Rip vs. Tear

Rip and Tear Definitions

Rip

A stretch of water in a river, estuary, or tidal channel made rough by waves meeting an opposing current.

Tear

To pull apart or into pieces by force; rend.

Rip

A rip current.

Tear

To cause to be pulled apart unintentionally, as by accident
Tore my pants on the barbed wire.

Rip

A dissolute person.

Tear

To lacerate (the skin, for example).
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Rip

An old or worthless horse.

Tear

To make (an opening) in something by pulling it apart or by accident
I tore a hole in my stocking.

Rip

A tear (in paper, etc.).

Tear

To separate forcefully; wrench
Tore the pipe from the wall.

Rip

A type of strong, rough tide or current.

Tear

To divide or disrupt
Was torn between opposing choices.
A country that was torn by strife.
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Rip

(Australia, New Zealand) A rip current: a strong outflow of surface water, away from the shore, that returns water from incoming waves.

Tear

To become torn
The fabric does not tear easily.

Rip

(slang) A comical, embarrassing, or hypocritical event or action.

Tear

To move with heedless speed; rush headlong
Tore off down the road.
Tore along the avenue.

Rip

(slang) A hit (dose) of marijuana.

Tear

To become filled with tears
The strong wind caused my eyes to tear.
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Rip

A black mark given for substandard schoolwork.

Tear

The act of tearing.

Rip

(slang) Something unfairly expensive, a rip-off.

Tear

The result of tearing; a rip or rent
The shirt has a small tear.

Rip

Data or audio copied from a CD, DVD, Internet stream, etc. to a hard drive, portable device, etc.
Some of these CD rips don't sound very good: what bitrate did you use?

Tear

A great rush; a hurry.

Rip

Something ripped off or stolen; a work resulting from plagiarism.

Tear

(Slang) A carousal; a spree.

Rip

A kind of glissando leading up to the main note to be played.

Tear

A drop of the clear salty liquid that is secreted by the lachrymal gland of the eye to lubricate the surface between the eyeball and eyelid and to wash away irritants.

Rip

Ellipsis of ripsaw.

Tear

Tears A profusion of this liquid spilling from the eyes and wetting the cheeks, especially as an expression of emotion.

Rip

A joyride.

Tear

Tears The act of weeping
Criticism that left me in tears.

Rip

A wicker basket for fish.

Tear

A drop of a liquid or hardened fluid.

Rip

A worthless horse; a nag.

Tear

(transitive) To rend (a solid material) by holding or restraining in two places and pulling apart, whether intentionally or not; to destroy or separate.
He tore his coat on the nail.

Rip

An immoral man; a rake, a scoundrel.

Tear

(transitive) To injure as if by pulling apart.
He has a torn ligament.
He tore some muscles in a weight-lifting accident.

Rip

(transitive) To divide or separate the parts of (especially something flimsy, such as paper or fabric), by cutting or tearing; to tear off or out by violence.
To rip a garment; to rip up a floor

Tear

(transitive) To destroy or reduce abstract unity or coherence, such as social, political or emotional.
He was torn by conflicting emotions.

Rip

(intransitive) To tear apart; to rapidly become two parts.
My shirt ripped when it was caught on a bramble.

Tear

(transitive) To make (an opening) with force or energy.
A piece of debris tore a tiny straight channel through the satellite.
His boss will tear him a new one when he finds out.
The artillery tore a gap in the line.

Rip

(transitive) To get by, or as if by, cutting or tearing.

Tear

To remove by tearing.
Tear the coupon out of the newspaper.

Rip

To move quickly and destructively.

Tear

To demolish
The slums were torn down to make way for the new development.

Rip

(woodworking) To cut wood along (parallel to) the grain.

Tear

(intransitive) To become torn, especially accidentally.
My dress has torn.

Rip

To copy data from a CD, DVD, Internet stream, etc., to a hard drive, portable device, etc.

Tear

(intransitive) To move or act with great speed, energy, or violence.
He went tearing down the hill at 90 miles per hour.
The tornado lingered, tearing through town, leaving nothing upright.
He tore into the backlog of complaints.

Rip

To take a "hit" of marijuana.

Tear

(intransitive) To smash or enter something with great force.
The chain shot tore into the approaching line of infantry.

Rip

(slang) To fart.

Tear

(intransitive) To produce tears.
Her eyes began to tear in the harsh wind.

Rip

To mock or criticize (someone or something). (often used with on and into)

Tear

A hole or break caused by tearing.
A small tear is easy to mend, if it is on the seam.

Rip

To steal; to rip off.

Tear

(slang) A rampage.
To go on a tear

Rip

To move or act fast; to rush headlong.

Tear

A drop of clear, salty liquid produced from the eyes by crying or irritation.
There were big tears rolling down Lisa's cheeks.
Ryan wiped the tear from the paper he was crying on.

Rip

(archaic) To tear up for search or disclosure, or for alteration; to search to the bottom; to discover; to disclose; usually with up.

Tear

Something in the form of a transparent drop of fluid matter; also, a solid, transparent, tear-shaped drop, as of some balsams or resins.

Rip

To surf extremely well.

Tear

(glass manufacture) A partially vitrified bit of clay in glass.

Rip

A wicker fish basket.

Tear

That which causes or accompanies tears; a lament; a dirge.

Rip

A rent made by ripping, esp. by a seam giving way; a tear; a place torn; laceration.

Tear

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.

Rip

A term applied to a mean, worthless thing or person, as to a scamp, a debauchee, or a prostitute, or a worn-out horse.

Tear

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.

Rip

A body of water made rough by the meeting of opposing tides or currents.

Tear

That which causes or accompanies tears; a lament; a dirge.

Rip

To divide or separate the parts of, by cutting or tearing; to tear or cut open or off; to tear off or out by violence; as, to rip a garment by cutting the stitches; to rip off the skin of a beast; to rip up a floor; - commonly used with up, open, off.

Tear

A partially vitrified bit of clay in glass.

Rip

To get by, or as by, cutting or tearing.
He 'll rip the fatal secret from her heart.

Tear

The act of tearing, or the state of being torn; a rent; a fissure.

Rip

To tear up for search or disclosure, or for alteration; to search to the bottom; to discover; to disclose; - usually with up.
They ripped up all that had been done from the beginning of the rebellion.
For brethern to debate and rip up their falling out in the ear of a common enemy . . . is neither wise nor comely.

Tear

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.

Rip

To saw (wood) lengthwise of the grain or fiber.

Tear

Hence, to divide by violent measures; to disrupt; to rend; as, a party or government torn by factions.

Rip

A dissolute man in fashionable society

Tear

To rend away; to force away; to remove by force; to sunder; as, a child torn from its home.
The hand of fateHath torn thee from me.

Rip

An opening made forcibly as by pulling apart;
There was a rip in his pants
She had snags in her stockings

Tear

To pull with violence; as, to tear the hair.

Rip

A stretch of turbulent water in a river or the sea caused by one current flowing into or across another current

Tear

To move violently; to agitate.

Rip

The act of rending or ripping or splitting something;
He gave the envelope a vigorous rip

Tear

To divide or separate on being pulled; to be rent; as, this cloth tears easily.

Rip

Tear or be torn violently;
The curtain ripped from top to bottom
Pull the cooked chicken into strips

Tear

To move and act with turbulent violence; to rush with violence; hence, to rage; to rave.

Rip

Move precipitously or violently;
The tornado ripped along the coast

Tear

A drop of the clear salty saline solution secreted by the lacrimal glands;
His story brought tears to her eyes

Rip

Cut (wood) along the grain

Tear

An opening made forcibly as by pulling apart;
There was a rip in his pants
She had snags in her stockings

Rip

Criticize or abuse strongly and violently;
The candidate ripped into his opponent mercilessly

Tear

An occasion for excessive eating or drinking;
They went on a bust that lasted three days

Tear

The act of tearing;
He took the manuscript in both hands and gave it a mighty tear

Tear

Separate or cause to separate abruptly;
The rope snapped
Tear the paper

Tear

To separate or be separated by force;
Planks were in danger of being torn from the crossbars

Tear

Move quickly and violently;
The car tore down the street
He came charging into my office

Tear

Strip of feathers;
Pull a chicken
Pluck the capon

Tear

Fill with tears or shed tears;
Her eyes were tearing

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