REND, verb transitive preterit tense and participle passive rent. [Eng. cranny, Latin crena, Gr.]

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. Leviticus 10:6.

2. To separate or part with violence.

I will surely rend the kingdom from thee. 1 Kings 11:11.

To rend the heart, in Scripture, to have bitter sorrow for sin. Joel 2:13.

To rend the heavens, to appear in majesty. Isaiah 64:1.

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.