Mindless and mechanical (4)

I believe the answer is:

rote

(Other definitions for rote that I've seen before include "Kind of memory - that tore it" , "Repetition of something to be learned" , "Memorisation by repetition" , "By . . . . means by memory - that tore it" , "Repetition for learners" .)

I've seen this clue in the Universal.

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