Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Rend
Rend
(rĕnd)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Rent
(rĕnt)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Rending
.] [AS.
rendan
, hrendan
; cf. OFries. renda
, randa
, Fries. renne
to cut, rend, Icel. hrinda
to push, thrust, AS. hrindan
; or cf. Icel. ræna
to rob, plunder, Ir. rannaim
to divide, share, part, W. rhanu
, Armor. ranna
.] 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
Doth
rend
the region. Shakespeare
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.
To rap and rend
. See under , to snatch.
Rap
, Verb.
T.
Syn. – To tear; burst; break; rupture; lacerate; fracture; crack; split.
Rend
,Verb.
I.
To be rent or torn; to become parted; to separate; to split.
Jer. Taylor.
Webster 1828 Edition
Rend
REND
,Verb.
T.
1.
To separate any substance into parts with force or sudden violence; to tear asunder; to split; as, powder rends a rock in blasting; lightning rends an oak.An empire from its old foundation rent.
I rend my tresses, and by breast I wound.
Neither rend your clothes, lest ye die. Lev. 10.
2.
To separate or part with violence.I will surely rend the kingdom from thee. 1Kings 11.
To rend the heart, in Scripture, to have bitter sorrow for sin. Joel 2.
To rend the heavens, to appear in majesty. Is. 64.
Rend differs somewhat from lacerate. We never say, to lacerate a rock or a kingdom, when we mean to express splitting or division. Lacerate is properly applicable to the tearing off of small pieces of a thing, as to lacerate the body with a whip or scourge; or to the tearing of the flesh or other thing without entire separation.