v.
Pronunciation: ' rend
Function: verb
Inflected Form: rent \ ' rent \ also rend · ed \ ' ren-d ə d \ ; rend · ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English rendan; akin to Old Frisian renda to tear and perhaps to Sanskrit randhra hole
Date: before 12th century
transitive verb
1 : to remove from place by violence : WREST
2 : to split or tear apart or in pieces by violence
3 : to tear (the hair or clothing) as a sign of anger, grief, or despair
4 a : to lacerate mentally or emotionally b : to pierce with sound c : to divide (as a nation) into contesting factions
intransitive verb
1 : to perform an act of tearing or splitting
2 : to become torn or split
synonyms see TEAR