RIVE, verb transitive preterit tense rived; participle passive rived or riven. [Latin rumpo, rupi. It may be allied to the family of Latin rapio, reap, rip.] To split; to cleave; to rend asunder by force; as, to rive timber for rails or shingles with wedges; the riven oak; the riven clouds. The scolding winds have riv'd the knotty oaks. RIVE, verb intransitive To be split or rent asunder. Freestone rives, splits and breaks in any direction.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI