rive
UK: raɪv | US: raɪv
vt. to tear or split apart violently
vt. to wrench open or divide by force
n. (archaic) a tear or split caused by rending
The word "rive" traces back to Old Norse rífa, reflecting the Vikings' linguistic influence on English. It originally described the violent splitting of objects (e.g., wood, cloth) and later evolved metaphorically. The spelling retained its Norse root, while the suffix -e was added in Middle English. The word’s core logic—forcible division—persists in modern usage, though it is now rare outside poetic or technical contexts.
The storm's winds threatened to rive the old ship apart.
He used an axe to rive the logs into smaller pieces.
(Archaic) "Grief shall rive thy heart" (Shakespearean phrasing).
The earthquake rived the ground, creating deep fissures.
Modern machinery can rive stone with precision.