to tear down

Tear \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.
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            Tear him to pieces; he's a conspirator. --Shak.
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   2. Hence, to divide by violent measures; to disrupt; to rend;
      as, a party or government torn by factions.
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   3. To rend away; to force away; to remove by force; to
      sunder; as, a child torn from its home.
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            The hand of fate
            Hath torn thee from me.               --Addison.
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   4. To pull with violence; as, to tear the hair.
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   5. To move violently; to agitate. "Once I loved torn ocean's
      roar." --Byron.
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   {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.
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