Rend
/rɛnd/noun
To tear something apart violently or forcefully.
Did you know?Rend is an old Germanic verb tied to the same ancient root as German Riemen and Old English rinnan, showing how deeply English once linked motion, tearing, and force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*randijaną
“to tear, rip, or split”
Old English
OE
rendan
“to tear apart, lacerate”
Middle English
ME
renden
“to tear violently; to split”
Modern English
English
rend
“to tear something violently into pieces”