rendan

to tear, cut down

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A man violently rips a sturdy cloth apart, pulling its two sides in opposite directions as a large jagged tear opens between his fists.

verb

rend

REND/rend/

To tear apart physically or emotionally.

Etymology

rendOld Englishto tear, cut down

The old sense of tearing or cutting down survives in the idea of forceful separation. Middle English already used the verb for slashing something from top to bottom or tearing it into parts.

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