Tearing
/ˈtɛr.ɪŋ/noun
Present participle of tear, meaning to pull apart or split violently.
Did you know?English tear is not related to tears from crying; it comes from a Germanic root meaning “to pull apart,” the same ancient family behind words for stretching and tension.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*der-
“to split, tear, or flay”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*teraną
“to tear, rend, or lacerate”
Old English
OE
tēaran
“to tear, rend apart”
Middle English
ME
teren
“to tear, rip, or pull violently”
Modern English
English
tearing
“pulling apart or ripping violently”