From Middle English renden, from Old English rendan (“to rend, tear, cut, lacerate, cut down”), from Proto-West Germanic *(h)randijan (“to tear”), of uncertain origin. Believed by some to be the causative of Proto-Germanic *hrindaną (“to push”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱret-, *kret- (“to hit, beat”), which would make it related to Old English hrindan (“to thrust, push”). Cognate with Scots rent (“to rend, tear”), Old Frisian renda (“to tear”).
Meanings
A violent separation of parts.
She'd been in a couple of minor car accidents herself, and witnessed a few others, and the rend of metal was unforgettable. 2002, John S. Anderson, A Daughter of Light, page xvi:
From Middle English renden, from Old English rendan (“to rend, tear, cut, lacerate, cut down”), from Proto-West Germanic *(h)randijan (“to tear”), of uncertain origin. Believed by some to be the causative of Proto-Germanic *hrindaną (“to push”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱret-, *kret- (“to hit, beat”), which would make it related to Old English hrindan (“to thrust, push”). Cognate with Scots rent (“to rend, tear”), Old Frisian renda (“to tear”).
Meanings
(transitive) To separate into parts with force or sudden violence; to split; to burst.
Powder rends a rock in blasting.
If thou more murmur'st, I will rend an oak / And peg thee in his knotty entrails till / Thou hast howl'd away twelve winters. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
Lightning rends an oak.
(figuratively, transitive) To violently disturb the peace of; to throw into chaos.
a scream that rent the air
We are most vulnerable now to the messages of the new subcults, to the claims and counterclaims that rend the air. 1970, Alvin Toffler, Future Shock: Bantam Books, page 317:
(transitive) To part or tear off forcibly; to take away by force; to amputate.
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Job 2:12:
A time to rent, and a time to sow: a time to keepe silence, and a time to speake. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ecclesiastes 3:7:
For a time, there reigned, too, a sense of peculiar dread at this flitting apparition, as if it were treacherously beckoning us on and on, in order that the monster might turn round upon us, and rend us at last in the remotest and most savage seas. 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 51, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 260:
(intransitive) To be rent or torn; to become parted; to separate; to split.
hu elhasad (to be rent or torn) · fi riuhtaista (to part or tear off forcibly) · got 𐌳𐌹𐍃𐍃𐌺𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (to separate into parts with force) · es rasgar (to part or tear off forcibly) · tpi brukim (to part or tear off forcibly) · ang teran (to separate into parts with force) · bg разце́пя (to separate into parts with force) · ru отрыва́ть (to part or tear off forcibly) · ang rēofan (to separate into parts with force) · hu kettétép (to part or tear off forcibly) · mi tīhaehae (to part or tear off forcibly) · hu szétszaggat (to part or tear off forcibly) · hu megrepeszt (to separate into parts with force) · fi halkaista (to separate into parts with force) · hu letép (to part or tear off forcibly) · bg съдирам (to separate into parts with force) · bg це́пя се (to be rent or torn) · got 𐍄𐌰𐌷𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to separate into parts with force) · es romper (to separate into parts with force) · cs roztrhnout (to separate into parts with force) · hu elszakít (to part or tear off forcibly) · ota یارمق (to separate into parts with force) · fi pirstoa (to separate into parts with force) · hu tép (to part or tear off forcibly) · cs odervat (to part or tear off forcibly) · de zerreißen (to separate into parts with force) · hu elszaggat (to part or tear off forcibly) · bg разце́пя (to part or tear off forcibly) · bg разце́пвам (to part or tear off forcibly) · cs rvát (to separate into parts with force) · gl rasgar (to separate into parts with force) · la laniō (to separate into parts with force) · fi repeytyä (to be rent or torn) · es rasgar (to separate into parts with force) · sa दृणाति (to separate into parts with force) · fi särkeä (to separate into parts with force) · hu széttép (to part or tear off forcibly) · hu repeszt (to separate into parts with force) · chr ᎦᏣᎦᎵᎭ (to separate into parts with force) · de zerspalten (to separate into parts with force) · fr déchirer (to separate into parts with force) · ca esquinçar (to separate into parts with force) · hu szakít (to part or tear off forcibly) · it spaccare (to separate into parts with force) · hu hasad (to be rent or torn) · tpi brukim (to separate into parts with force) · es desgarrarse (to be rent or torn) · eo disŝiri (to separate into parts with force) · bg скъсвам се (to be rent or torn) · ru разрыва́ть (to separate into parts with force) · es destrozar (to separate into parts with force) · es romperse (to be rent or torn) · hu elrepeszt (to separate into parts with force) · hu széthasít (to separate into parts with force) · ru раздира́ть (to separate into parts with force) · hu szaggat (to part or tear off forcibly) · es desgajar (to separate into parts with force) · gl esgazar (to part or tear off forcibly) · cs pukat (to be rent or torn) · de spalten (to separate into parts with force) · bg скъсвам (to separate into parts with force) · hu szétrepeszt (to separate into parts with force) · mi tīhae (to part or tear off forcibly) · es desgarrar (to part or tear off forcibly) · ang rendan (to separate into parts with force) · pt rasgar (to separate into parts with force) · bg це́пя (to separate into parts with force) · hu megszaggat (to part or tear off forcibly) · hu szétszakít (to part or tear off forcibly) · fi revetä (to be rent or torn) · fi repäistä (to part or tear off forcibly) · hu kettérepeszt (to separate into parts with force) · hu széthasad (to be rent or torn) · hu felhasít (to separate into parts with force) · hu elreped (to be rent or torn) · cs trhat se (to be rent or torn) · hu szakad (to be rent or torn) · fi repiä (to part or tear off forcibly) · hu hasít (to separate into parts with force) · ca esgarrar (to separate into parts with force) · hu leszakít (to part or tear off forcibly) · ga rois (to separate into parts with force) · bg разце́пвам (to separate into parts with force) · fi pirstoutua (to be rent or torn) · hu leszaggat (to part or tear off forcibly) · hu reped (to be rent or torn) · la lacerō (to separate into parts with force) · cs rozervat (to separate into parts with force) · hu elszakad (to be rent or torn) · ro sfâșia (to separate into parts with force) · hu kettészakít (to part or tear off forcibly) · hu kitép (to part or tear off forcibly) · cs trhat (to separate into parts with force) · grc σπαράσσω (to separate into parts with force) · hu kettéhasít (to separate into parts with force) · ro rupe (to separate into parts with force) · fr rompre (to separate into parts with force) · bg разделям (to part or tear off forcibly) · hu kettészakad (to be rent or torn)