Rip

Rip

Verb / Noun · /rɪp/ · to tear forcefully and quickly; also an abbreviation of rest in peace

Definition

To rip is to tear something forcefully, quickly, and often raggedly — pulling it apart or open with force. A rip is the tear itself: a rip in the fabric, a rip in the paper, a rip down the seam. The word implies speed and force; unlike cut, which suggests a controlled action, rip is sudden and uncontrolled. To rip something open, rip off a label, rip through a package — all carry that explosive, irreversible quality. Rip also appears in digital contexts: to rip a CD means to copy the audio data from it onto a computer.

Origin

From Middle Dutch or Low German rippen, meaning to tear or strip. The word entered English in the fifteenth century and has remained consistent in its core sense. It is related to similar words in Scandinavian and Germanic languages that share the idea of quick, violent tearing. Rip is also used as the abbreviation R.I.P. — from Latin requiescat in pace, meaning may they rest in peace — though that use is entirely separate in origin from the tearing sense.