to tear down

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

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. [1913 Webster]

Tear him to pieces; he's a conspirator.— Shak.[1913 Webster]

2.Hence, to divide by violent measures; to disrupt; to rend; as, a party or government torn by factions. [1913 Webster]

3.To rend away; to force away; to remove by force; to sunder; as, a child torn from its home. [1913 Webster]

The hand of fate Hath torn thee from me.— Addison.[1913 Webster]

4.To pull with violence; as, to tear the hair. [1913 Webster]

5.To move violently; to agitate. "Once I loved torn ocean's roar." --Byron. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]