Word Study
rend
CIDE DICTIONARY
rend, v. t. [AS. rendan, hrendan; cf. OFries. renda, randa, Fries. renne to cut, rend, Icel. hrinda to push, thrust, AS. hrindan; or cf. Icel. r to rob, plunder, Ir. rannaim to divide, share, part, W. rhanu, Armor. ranna.].
- 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. [1913 Webster]"The dreadful thunder
Doth rend the region." [1913 Webster] - To part or tear off forcibly; to take away by force. [1913 Webster]"An empire from its old foundations rent." [1913 Webster]"I will surely rend the kingdom from thee." [1913 Webster]
Syn. -- To tear; burst; break; rupture; lacerate; fracture; crack; split.
rend, v. i.
To be rent or torn; to become parted; to separate; to split. Jer. Taylor. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
rend, v. (past and past part. rent) archaic or rhet.
1 tr. (foll. by off, from, away, etc.; also absol.) tear or wrench forcibly.
2 tr. & intr. split or divide in pieces or into factions (a country rent by civil war).
3 tr. cause emotional pain to (the heart etc.).
1 tr. (foll. by off, from, away, etc.; also absol.) tear or wrench forcibly.
2 tr. & intr. split or divide in pieces or into factions (a country rent by civil war).
3 tr. cause emotional pain to (the heart etc.).
Idiom
rend the air sound piercingly. rend one's garments (or hair) display extreme grief or rage.
Etymology
OE rendan, rel. to MLG rende
THESAURUS
rend
abrade, afflict, amputate, atomize, ax, badger, bark, bisect, blackmail, blemish, bloody, break, break to pieces, burn, butcher, carve, chafe, check, chip, chop, claim, claw, cleave, crack, craze, cut, cut away, cut in two, cut off, demand, demolish, dichotomize, disassemble, disintegrate, dismantle, dissever, distress, divide, exact, excise, extort, fissure, force from, fracture, fragment, fray, frazzle, fret, gall, gash, hack, halve, hew, hurt, incise, injure, jigsaw, lacerate, lance, levy blackmail, maim, make mincemeat of, mangle, maul, mutilate, pain, pare, pick to pieces, pierce, prune, pry loose from, pull in pieces, pull to pieces, pulverize, puncture, reduce to rubble, rend from, rip, rip from, rive, run, rupture, savage, saw, scald, scissor, scorch, scotch, scrape, scratch, screw, scuff, separate, sever, shake down, shatter, shred, skin, slash, slice, slit, smash, smite, snatch from, snip, split, sprain, squeeze, stab, stick, strain, sunder, take apart, tear, tear apart, tear from, tear to pieces, tear to shreds, tear to tatters, torment, total, traumatize, unbuild, undo, unmake, whittle, wound, wrack up, wreck, wrench, wrench from, wrest, wring, wring fromROGET THESAURUS
rend
Disjunction
VB be disjoined, come off, fall off, come to pieces, fall to pieces, peel off, get loose, disjoin, disconnect, disengage, disunite, dissociate, dispair, divorce, part, dispart, detach, separate, cut off, rescind, segregate, set apart, keep apart, insulate, isolate, throw out of gear, cut adrift, loose, unloose, undo, unbind, unchain, unlock, unpack, unravel, disentangle, set free, sunder, divide, subdivide, sever, dissever, abscind, circumcise, cut, incide, incise, saw, snip, nib, nip, cleave, rive, rend, slit, split, splinter, chip, crack, snap, break, tear, burst, rend, rend asunder, rend in twain, wrench, rupture, shatter, shiver, cranch, crunch, craunch, chop, cut up, rip up, hack, hew, slash, whittle, haggle, hackle, discind, lacerate, scamble, mangle, gash, hash, slice, cut up, carve, dissect, anatomize, dislimb, take to pieces, pull to pieces, pick to pieces, tear to pieces, tear to tatters, tear piecemeal, tear limb from limb, divellicate, skin, disintegrate, dismember, disbranch, disband, disperse, dislocate, disjoint, break up, mince, comminute, apportion, part, part company, separate, leave, be disjoined, come off, fall off, come to pieces, fall to pieces, peel off, get loose, disjoin, disconnect, disengage, disunite, dissociate, dispair, divorce, part, dispart, detach, separate, cut off, rescind, segregate, set apart, keep apart, insulate, isolate, throw out of gear, cut adrift, loose, unloose, undo, unbind, unchain, unlock, unpack, unravel, disentangle, set free, sunder, divide, subdivide, sever, dissever, abscind, circumcise, cut, incide, incise, saw, snip, nib, nip, cleave, rive, rend, slit, split, splinter, chip, crack, snap, break, tear, burst, rend, rend asunder, rend in twain, wrench, rupture, shatter, shiver, cranch, crunch, craunch, chop, cut up, rip up, hack, hew, slash, whittle, haggle, hackle, discind, lacerate, scamble, mangle, gash, hash, slice, cut up, carve, dissect, anatomize, dislimb, take to pieces, pull to pieces, pick to pieces, tear to pieces, tear to tatters, tear piecemeal, tear limb from limb, divellicate, skin, disintegrate, dismember, disbranch, disband, disperse, dislocate, disjoint, break up, mince, comminute, apportion, part, part company, separate, leave.For further exploring for "rend" in Webster Dictionary Online
