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“Tare” or “Tear”

tare / tear are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term.

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Definitions

What each term means

Same sound, different spellings and meanings, shown with a pronunciation guide for each term.

tare

  • nounan adjustment made for the weight of the packaging in order to determine the net weight of the goods.
  • nounany of several weedy vetches grown for forage.
  • nounthe weight of a motor vehicle, railroad car, or aircraft without its fuel or cargo.
  • noun(chemical analysis) a counterweight used in chemical analysis; consists of an empty container that counterbalances the weight of the container holding chemicals.

tear t·EH·r

  • nouna drop of the clear salty saline solution secreted by the lacrimal glands.
  • nounthe act of tearing.
  • verbseparate or cause to separate abruptly.
  • verbto separate or be separated by force.
  • verbmove quickly and violently.
  • verbfill with tears or shed tears.
Usage

Examples in context

Real sentences for each spelling. Hover an example to copy it.

“tare”

  • Tare (disambiguation)
  • Avey Tare
  • Tare:

“tear”

  • Tear
  • Robert Tear (1939–2011), a Welsh singer
  • …to rip from wear and tear as they take more damage…
  • SLAP tear
  • "Tear", a song by Lotion from…
  • Lui's attempts to tear the picture proved impervious as…
  • Bucket Handle tear of Superior Labrum
  • Tear, Tears or Tearing may refer
  • …on number and severity of tear.
  • …rubber bullets, sling shots and tear gas shells.

Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions are drawn from WordNet.

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