English Dictionary

Definition of “rift”

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1rift1 (rɪftPronunciation for rift1) 

Definitions

noun

  1. a gap or space made by cleaving or splitting; fissure
  2. geology a long narrow zone of faulting resulting from tensional stress in the earth's crust
  3. a gap between two cloud masses; break or chink  ⇒ he saw the sun through a rift in the clouds 
  4. a break in friendly relations between people, nations, etc

verb

  1. to burst or cause to burst open; split

Word Origin

C13: from Old Norse; related to Danish rift  cleft, Icelandic ript breach of contract

2rift2 (rɪftPronunciation for rift2) 

Definitions

noun

US 
  1. a shallow or rocky part in a stream
  2. the backwash from a wave that has just broken

Word Origin

C14: from Old Norse rypta ; related to Icelandic ropa to belch

Usage examples

  • I could only hope that as days passed, the healing rift between us would further close.
    Robin Hobb, THE GOLDEN FOOL: Book Two of the Tawny Man (2002)
  • His son Sebastien (Stephane Rousseau) is an investment banker based in London who has had a major rift with his father.
    Spiked (2003)
  • Second, there's Lukoil, Russia's largest oil company, which has But there's more to the rift than that.
    Globe and Mail (2003)
  • Rumours of a rift with United manager Sir Alex Ferguson fuelled speculation that the player would leave the club.
    Belfast Telegraph (2003)
  • A fundamental rift was beginning to surface in the modern political imagination, with intelligent Scots aligned on both sides.
    Arthur Herman, THE SCOTTISH ENLIGHTENMENT: The Scots' Invention of the Modern World (2002)

Commonness

All English words that begin with 'R'

Related Terms

2 results

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