pret. and pp. rent.

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.

To separate or part with violence. I will surely rend the kingdom from thee. 7 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 64:7. 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.