Rip

Part of speech: verb, noun, interjection

Pronunciation: /ɹɪp/

Definitions

1. To forcibly tear or break apart a material, often producing a loud noise, while also referring to the result of such an action which leaves two separated pieces
2. To pull or tear something quickly and forcefully so it separates ; the torn part or opening created when something is split by force
3. To separate material by pulling it apart abruptly ; the resulting hole or separation caused by such damage

Etymology: "Rip" began as a verb meaning to pluck, and its earliest English form, "ryppen," still carried that sense before the tearing meaning took over. The Middle English "rippen" descends from a Proto-Germanic verb that was an intensive form of a root meaning to break, so the word's core idea was forceful pulling apart from the start. Its relatives across the Germanic languages include Dutch dialectal "rippen," German "rupfen" (to pluck feathers), and German "raufen" (to tear out), all pointing to the same vigorous motion. The most surprising relation is with "reap." Old English "rīpan" meant to plunder, and it gave us the modern word for cutting grain, so two very different harvests share a distant ancestor. The connection to "rob" and "reave" appears in the same family of roots, though the exact paths are tangled.

Synonyms: tear, rend, split

Antonyms: repair, mend, fix