1. (v. t.) 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.

2. (v. t.) To part or tear off forcibly; to take away by force.

3. (v. i.) To be rent or torn; to become parted; to separate; to split.

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 from