rend Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb tear or be torn violently
    rive; pull; rip.
    • The curtain ripped from top to bottom
    • pull the cooked chicken into strips

WordNet

Rend transitive verb
Etymology
AS. rendan, hrendan; cf. OFries. renda, randa, Fries.renne to cut, rend, Icel. hrinda to push, thrust, AS. hrindan; or cf. Icel. rna to rob, plunder, Ir. rannaim to divide, share, part, W. rhanu, Armor. ranna.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Rent present participle & verbal noun Rending
Definitions
  1. To separate into parts with force or sudden violence; to tear asunder; to split; to burst; as, powder rends a rock in blasting; lightning rends an oak.
    The dreadful thunder Doth rend the region. Shak.
  2. To part or tear off forcibly; to take away by force.
    An empire from its old foundations rent. Dryden.
    I will surely rend the kingdom from thee. 1 Kings xi. 11.
    Syn. -- To tear; burst; break; rupture; lacerate; fracture; crack; split.
Rend intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To be rent or torn; to become parted; to sepparate; to split. Jer. Taylor.

Webster 1913