Dictionary

tore en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /toː/ non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• /tɔɹ/ (General-American)
• tô (Received-Pronunciation)
• /tɔː(ɹ)/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• tōr rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• (UK) audio
• tôr (General-American)
• /toːɹ/ (Scotland)
• tōr (Scotland)
• /to(ː)ɹ/ rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• (Southern-England) audio
• /toə/ non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger

Etymology

From Middle English tor, tore, toor, from Old Norse tor- (“hard, difficult, wrong, bad”, prefix), from Proto-Germanic *tuz- (“hard, difficult, wrong, bad”), from Proto-Indo-European *dus- (“bad, ill, difficult”). Cognate with Old High German zur- (“mis-”, prefix), Gothic 𐍄𐌿𐌶- (tuz-, “hard, difficult”, prefix), Ancient Greek δυσ- (dus-, “bad, ill, difficult”, prefix). More at dys-.

Meanings

1. (dialectal, obsolete) Hard, difficult; wearisome, tedious.
2. (dialectal, obsolete) Strong, sturdy; great, massive.
3. (dialectal, obsolete) Full; rich.

Forms

Deriveds

torely

tore en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /toː/ non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• /tɔɹ/ (General-American)
• tô (Received-Pronunciation)
• /tɔː(ɹ)/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• tōr rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• (UK) audio
• tôr (General-American)
• /toːɹ/ (Scotland)
• tōr (Scotland)
• /to(ː)ɹ/ rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• (Southern-England) audio
• /toə/ non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger

Meanings

1. (form-of, past) simple past of tear (“rip, rend, speed”).
   form of tear
2. (colloquial, form-of, nonstandard, participle, past) past participle of tear (“rip, rend, speed”)
   form of tear
   • […]that a Spirit came into him that did make him quake and tremble ſo exceedingly that he thought it would have tore him, &c[…] 1661, George Whitehead, Edward Burroughs, The Son of Perdition Revealed […] , London, page 39:
   • Upon my honor, Sir, you have tore every bit of ſkin quite off the back of both my hands with your forceps, cried my uncle Toby[…] 1761, [Laurence Sterne], chapter XVI, in The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, volume III, London: […] R[obert] and J[ames] Dodsley […], →OCLC, page 71:
   • "Would've tore your head clean off," Dudley was bellowing. "Would've snapped it off your neck like wet toilet paper[…] 1999 May 11, Rick Bass, Where the Sea Used to Be, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, →ISBN, page 393:

tore en · NOUN · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• /toː/ non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• /tɔɹ/ (General-American)
• tô (Received-Pronunciation)
• /tɔː(ɹ)/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• tōr rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• (UK) audio
• tôr (General-American)
• /toːɹ/ (Scotland)
• tōr (Scotland)
• /to(ː)ɹ/ rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• (Southern-England) audio
• /toə/ non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger

Etymology

See torus.

Meanings

1. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of torus.
   alt of torus
2. torus
3. The solid enclosed by a torus

Forms

Synonyms

anchor ring

tore en · NOUN · etymology 4

Pronunciation

• /toː/ non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• /tɔɹ/ (General-American)
• tô (Received-Pronunciation)
• /tɔː(ɹ)/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• tōr rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• (UK) audio
• tôr (General-American)
• /toːɹ/ (Scotland)
• tōr (Scotland)
• /to(ː)ɹ/ rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• (Southern-England) audio
• /toə/ non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger

Etymology

Probably from the root of tear; compare Welsh word for a break or cut.

Meanings

1. (obsolete, uncountable) The dead grass that remains on mowing land in winter and spring.
   • the more Tore you have, the less Quantity of Hay will do 1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC:

Relateds

tore up