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rifts - 4 dictionary results
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rift

  [rift]
Use rifts in a Sentence
–noun
1. an opening made by splitting, cleaving, etc.; fissure; cleft; chink.
2. an open space, as in a forest or cloud mass, or a clear interval.
3. a break in friendly relations: a rift between two people; a rift between two nations.
4. a difference in opinion, belief, or interest that causes such a break in friendly relations.
5. Geology.
a. a fault.
b. a graben of regional extent.
6. the plane or direction along which a log or mass of granite can most easily be split.
7. wood or a piece of wood that has been split radially from a log.
–verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
8. to burst open; split.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME < ON ript breaking of an agreement (cf. Dan, Norw rift cleavage), deriv. of rīfa to tear (c. rive )

Related forms:
riftless, adjective

Synonyms:
3. breach, rupture, estrangement, falling-out.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To rifts
rift 1   (rĭft)   
n.  
  1. A narrow fissure in rock.
  2. A break in friendly relations: a rift between siblings.
v.   rift·ed, rift·ing, rifts

v.   intr.
To split open; break.
v.   tr.
To cause to split open or break.

[Middle English, of Scandinavian origin.]
rift 2   (rĭft)   
n.  
  1. A shallow area in a waterway.
  2. The backwash of a wave that has broken upon a beach.

[Probably alteration of dialectal riff, reef, from Dutch rif, riffe; see reef1.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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rift   (rĭft)  Pronunciation Key 
  1. A continental rift.
  2. A narrow break, crack, or other opening in a rock, usually made by cracking or splitting.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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