Rive

Quick meaning: Rive is a verb meaning (transitive, archaic except in past participle) To tear apart by force; to rend; to split; to cleave.

Meaning

(transitive, archaic except in past participle) To tear apart by force; to rend; to split; to cleave.

More Meanings

1. (transitive, archaic) To pierce or cleave with a weapon.
2. (intransitive) To break apart; to split.
3. (transitive, rare) To burst open; explode; discharge.
4. (woodworking) To use a technique of splitting or sawing wood radially from a log (e.g. clapboards).
5. A place torn; a rent; a rift.
6. A bank or shore.
7. To land.

Example Sentences

Freestone i.e. that rives, splits, and breaks in any direction.

I have seen tempests, when the scolding winds / Have rived the knotty oaks[…]

The varlet at his plaint was grieu'd so sore, / That his deepe wounded hart in two did riue[…].

The company was riven by strikes. Years later, the dispute with the RMT union over driver operation of train doors has still not formally been resolved.

Word Forms

• rives
• riving
• rived
• riven

Synonyms for rive

Depending on context, synonyms include cleave, rend, split, rent, rift, rip.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include rend, cleave, pull, split, rip, gauche.

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