What does "rive" mean?
Rive: To rend asunder by force; to split; to cleave; as, to rive timber for rails or shingles. I shall ryve him through the sides twain. Chaucer. The scolding winds have rived the knotty oaks. Shak. Brutus hath rived my heart. Shak.
Additional senses
- 2.To be split or rent asunder. Freestone rives, splits, and breaks in any direction. Woodward.
- 3.A place torn; a rent; a rift. [Prov. Eng.]
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00