rive

Etymology 1

From Middle English riven (“to rive”), of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse rífa (“to rend, tear apart”), from Proto-Germanic *rīfaną (“to tear, scratch”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reyp- (“to crumble, tear”). Cognate with Danish rive (“to tear”), Old Frisian rīva (“to tear”), Old English ārǣfan (“to let loose, unwrap”), Old Norse ript (“breach of contract, rift”), Norwegian Bokmål rive (“to tear”), Swedish riva (”to tear”) and Albanian rrip (“belt, rope”). More at rift.

verb

1. (transitive, archaic except in past participle) To tear apart by force; to rend; to split; to cleave.
2. (transitive, archaic) To pierce or cleave with a weapon.
3. (intransitive) To break apart; to split.
   Freestone i.e. that rives, splits, and breaks in any direction. 1728, John Woodward, An Attempt towards a Natural History of the Fossils of England
   To the west, the country descends more gradually to the extensive plains of the Nile Valley but is riven by the rugged valleys of the Takezze and other Nile tributaries. 2012, David W. Phillipson, Foundations of an African Civilisation. Aksum & the northern Horn, 1000 BC–AD 1300, Woodbridge, Suffolk: James Currey, page 10
   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. October 20 2021, Angie Doll explains to Paul Clifton, “We were absolutely at rock bottom...”, in RAIL, number 942, page 34
4. (transitive, rare) To burst open; explode; discharge.
   Ten thousand French have ta'en the sacrament, To rive their dangerous artillery 1821, William Shakespeare, James Boswell, Richard Farmer, The Plays and Poems of William Shakespeare
5. (woodworking) To use a technique of splitting or sawing wood radially from a log (e.g. clapboards).

noun

1. A place torn; a rent; a rift.

Etymology 2

Compare Latin ripa (“shore”)

noun

1. A bank or shore.

verb

1. To land.