by tearing) when she climbed over the wall. → see BREAK (USAGE) 2 [1] to become torn: This material tears easily, so be careful when you wear it. 3 [T+obj+adv/prep] to remove by sudden force: Several trees were torn up (=from the ground) in last night's storm. | Our roof was torn off by the hurricane. | He tore off his clothes and dived in to save the drowning child. | (fig.) unhappy children torn from their parents 4 [T(APART, between) usually pass.] to divide by the pull of opposing forces; destroy the peace of: a country torn apart by war | I'm torn between loyalty to my family and my love for Susan. (=I can't decide which to obey) 5 [I+adv/prep] infml to move excitedly with great speed: The excited children tore noisily down the street. | He tore out of the house when he realized how late he was. | I'm in a tearing hurry. (=a great hurry) 6 tear someone limb from limb lit or humor to beat or attack (someone) very severely 7 tear one's hair (out) to be very excited or anxious: sitting in a traffic jam on the way to the airport, tearing my hair out 8 tear oneself away to leave unwillingly: He had to tear himself away from the party to catch the last bus home. 9 tear someone off a strip/tear a strip off someone BrE infml to express severe disapproval of someone; REPRIMAND 10 tear someone's heart out to fill someone with sadness 11 tear something to shreds/pieces infml to find many faults in something; judge extremely severely: The critics tore his new novel to shreds. 12 That's torn it! BrE infml That has ruined everything! That is very unfortunate! That's torn it! I've shut my key in the car.
tear sthg. ⇔ down phr v [T] (especially of a building) to pull down, especially violently; destroy: These old Georgian houses are being torn down to make way for a new road.
tear into sbdy./sthg. phr v [T no pass.] infml to attack violently with blows or words; LAY into
tear sthg. ⇔ off phr v [T] infml to write or produce rapidly: The secretary tore off two letters in five minutes.
tear sthg. ⇔ up phr v [T] to destroy completely by tearing: The magician tore up a £5 note and then made it whole again. | (fig.) I believe the government intends to tear up its agreement with the unions.
$  \text{tear}^3 / \text{tear} / n \text{ a torn place in cloth, paper etc} \rightarrow \text{see also WEAR AND TEAR}  $
tear·a·way /ˈteərəweɪ/ n BrE infml a young person who behaves in a wild and uncontrolled way (mainly used by older people and with some fondness): The young tear-way's in trouble with the police again.
tear·drop /'tɪədrɒp/ n a single tear: A teardrop ran down her cheek.
tear·ful /'tɪəfəl/ˈtɪər-/ adj 1 full of tears; crying: The mother was trying to comfort the tearful little girl. | a tearful farewell 2 likely to cry: These sad love stories always make me feel a bit tearful. —ly adv —ness n [U]
tear gas /'tɪə gəsˈlɪtər-/ also CS gas n [U] a stinging chemical gas that causes blindness for a short time by making the eyes produce tears. It is used by police to control crowds: The police used tear gas to disperse the crowd. —tear-gas v [T] -ss-
tear•jerk•er /'tɪər,dʒɜːrkər / 'tɪər,dʒɜːrkər-/ n infml a very sad book, film, play etc, intended to make people cry
tea·room /'tiːruːm, -rum/ n a restaurant where tea and light meals are served
tear·y /'tɪəri/ adj infm/ TEARFUL
tease $ ^{1} $ /tiːz/ v 1 [t;T] to make jokes about or laugh at unkindly or playfully: The other children always teased me because I was fat. | Don't take it seriously – he was only teasing. 2 [T] to annoy (an animal or person) on purpose: Stop teasing the cat! 3 [T] especially AmE for BACKCOMB
tease sthg. ⇔ out phr v [T] to remove, straighten, or loosen carefully and patiently with the fingers: She teased out the knots in her hair.
tease $ ^{2} $ n infml 1 someone who teases a lot or likes teasing: He's a terrible tease. 2 someone who excites another especially sexually, with no intention of satisfying them
tea·sel, -zel, -zie /'ti:zəl/ n 1 a plant with prickly leaves and flowers 2 a dried flower from this plant, used in former times for brushing cloth so as to give it a soft surface
teas·er /ˈtɪzər/ n 1 infml a difficult question 2 a TEASE
'tea, service also 'tea set n a matching set of cups, plates, teapot etc. used in serving tea
'tea shop n a TEAROOM
teas·ing·ly /'tiːzɪŋli/ adv in a way that shows you are joking and trying to have fun by embarrassing someone in a friendly way
tea·spoon /'tiːspʊn/ n 1 a small spoon used for mixing sugar into tea, coffee etc 2 [(of)] also tea·spoon·ful /-ful/ pl. -spoonfuls, -spoonsful — the amount held by a teaspoon
teat /tiːt/ n 1 BrE || nipple AmE a specially shaped rubber object with a hole in it, fixed to the end of a bottle so that a baby can suck from it 2 an animal's NIPPLE
tea·time /ˈtiːtaɪm/ n [U] BrE a time in the late afternoon or early evening when people have a meal: John won't be back until teatime.
'tea ,towel BrE || dish towel AmE — n a cloth for drying cups, plates etc, after they have been washed
'tea ,troiley especially BrE \parallel 'tea ,wagon especially AmE — n a small table on wheels, from which food and/or drinks are served
Teb·bit, Norman /'tebʃt/ (1931-) a British politician in the Conservative Party. He had several important positions in Margaret Thatcher's government, and was known for his strong criticism of LEFT-WING politicians and their ideas. People remember him especially in connection with the phrase 'get on your bike', after he said in a speech that when his father was unemployed, he did not complain, but he 'got on his bike (=bicycle) and looked for work'. His official title is Lord Tebbit of Chingford.
TEC /tek/ abbrev. for Training and Enterprise Council; a former British organization paid for by the government which helped to train people for new jobs. It also helped people to start their own business and trained people in how to manage a business effectively. It was replaced in 2001 by local Learning and Skills Councils.
tech /tek/ n infml for TECHNICAL COLLEGE
tech·ni·cal /'teknikəl/ adj 1 [no comp.] having or giving special and usually practical knowledge, especially of an industrial or scientific subject: technical experts | technical training → compare ACADEMIC 2 a) of or related to such a subject. Technical words or phrases are marked tech in this dictionary: The flight was delayed owing to technical reasons, (=a fault in the engine or other machinery) | 'Precipitation' is a technical term used by weather scientists for 'rain'. b) needing special knowledge in order to be understood: This book is too technical for me. 3 [no comp.] according to an (unreasonably) exact acceptance of the rules: The result was a technical defeat for the government, but otherwise of limited importance. | a technical infringement of the rules → see also TECHNICALITY 4 of or related to TECHNIQUE: the pianist's technical brilliance →ly /kli/ adv: Technically, you could be prosecuted for this, but I don't suppose you will be. | a technically brilliant pianist.
'technical , college also tech infml — n (especially in Britain) a college providing courses (usually not to degree level) in practical subjects, art, social studies etc, for students who have left school → compare POLYTECHNIC, UNIVERSITY
tech·ni·cal·i·ty /ˌteknəˈkæləti/ n a small detail or rule especially one that needs special knowledge in order to be understood or that may seem unnecessary: The general explained the military technicalities of the matter to the news paper reporters. | He lost the race on a technicality. (=he should have won, but he broke a particular rule, and so lost
,technical 'knockout, abbrev. TKO n the ending of a BOXING match because one of the fighters cannot continue e.g. because he is too badly hurt
tech·ni·cian /tekˈnɪʃən/ n 1 a highly skilled scientific or industrial worker: a laboratory technician 2 someone who has a good technique
Tech·ni·col·or /'teknikələr/ trademark a type of colour film process of Technicolor Inc. used in the cinema, in which the red, yellow, and blue are recorded on separate films and then mixed together: filmed in Technicolor
tech·nique /tekˈnik/ n [C;U] (a) method of doing something that needs skill, especially in art, music, literature etc. If you want to learn to paint, I suggest you study Raphael's