To tear, rend, or split apart forcefully.
From en- + rive (from Old English reofan, meaning 'to rob' or 'tear'). The prefix intensifies the verb's meaning.
This archaic word comes from the same root as 'rive' and 'river' (which splits the land)—words like this disappeared as English simplified its vocabulary, keeping only 'tear' and 'rip.'
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