tear-off
[ tair-awf, -of ]
/ ˈtɛərˌɔf, -ˌɒf /
adjective
designed to be easily removed by tearing, usually along a perforated line: a sales letter with a tear-off order blank.
Origin of tear-off
First recorded in 1885–90; adj., noun use of verb phrase
tear off
Words nearby tear-off
tear shell,
tear stone,
tear strip,
tear-gas,
tear-jerker,
tear-off,
tear-out,
tear-stained,
tearaway,
teardown,
teardrop
Definition for tear off (2 of 2)
Origin of tear
2
before 900; Middle English
teren (v.), Old English
teran; cognate with Dutch
teren, German
zehren to consume, Gothic
distairan to destroy, Greek
dérein to flay
synonym study for tear
1.
Tear,
rend,
rip mean to pull apart. To
tear is to split the fibers of something by pulling apart, usually so as to leave ragged or irregular edges:
to tear open a letter.
Rend implies force or violence in tearing apart or in pieces:
to rend one's clothes in grief.
Rip implies vigorous tearing asunder, especially along a seam or line:
to rip the sleeves out of a coat.
OTHER WORDS FROM tear
tear·a·ble, adjective tear·a·ble·ness, noun tear·er, noun un·tear·a·ble, adjectiveBritish Dictionary definitions for tear off (1 of 3)
tear off
/ (tɛə) /
verb
(tr)
to separate by tearing
(intr, adverb)
to rush away; hurry
(tr, adverb)
to produce in a hurry; do quickly and carelessly
to tear off a letter
tear someone off a strip British informal
to reprimand or rebuke someone forcibly
adjective tear-off
(of paper, etc) produced in a roll or block and marked with perforations so that one section at a time can be torn off
British Dictionary definitions for tear off (2 of 3)
tear
1
/ (tɪə) /
noun
a drop of the secretion of the lacrimal glands
See tears
something shaped like a hanging drop
a tear of amber
Also called (esp Brit):
teardrop
Derived forms of tear
tearless, adjectiveWord Origin for tear
Old English
tēar, related to Old Frisian, Old Norse
tār, Old High German
zahar, Greek
dakri
British Dictionary definitions for tear off (3 of 3)
tear
2
/ (tɛə) /
verb tears, tearing, tore or torn
noun
Derived forms of tear
tearable, adjective tearer, nounWord Origin for tear
Old English
teran; related to Old Saxon
terian, Gothic
gatairan to destroy, Old High German
zeran to destroy
Scientific definitions for tear off
tear
[ tîr ]
A drop of the clear salty liquid secreted by glands (lacrimal glands) in the eyes. Tears wet the membrane covering the eye and help rid the eye of irritating substances.
Idioms and Phrases with tear off (1 of 2)
tear off
Produce hurriedly and casually, as in He tore off a poem a day for an entire month.
Leave in a hurry, as in She tore off to the store because it was about to close. [c. 1900]
Idioms and Phrases with tear off (2 of 2)
tear