Tor and tore are two words that are pronounced in the same manner but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Tor and tore are homophones. We will examine the definitions of tor and tore, where these words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.
A tor is a high hill, a rocky promontory. The plural form is tors. The word tor is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word tòrr, which means bulging hill.
Tore is the past tense of the word tear, which means to pull something to pieces, to rend one thing from another, to rip apart, to make a hole or to split something, to run or move very quickly. Related words are tears, torn, The word tear is derived from the Old English word ter which means a laceration or a torn item.
Examples
They were an integral part to his Ivybridge Everest Challenge in January 2016, when Richard travelled up and down the most southerly tor on Dartmoor, Western Beacon, 28 times over 19 hours in torrid weather conditions. (The South Hams Gazette)
The famous Holy Grail, which King Arthur was said to be in obsessively searching for, is believed to be buried beneath the Glastonbury Tor, the conical hill that rises above Glastonbury. (The New Paper)
Democrats on Thursday tore into the House GOP’s vote to repeal ObamaCare, ripping their healthcare plan as a “tax cut for millionaires” and “immoral.” (The Hill)
Youths tore tiles from the roof, damaged chimneys, smashed windows and threw debris at passers-by (The Northern Echo)
The dead included the assailant and the policeman he stabbed, while the other three victims were among the pedestrians hit by the car as it tore along Westminster Bridge before crashing into railings just outside parliament. (The Express Tribune)
Enjoyed reading about these homophones? Check out some others we covered: