rift

About 2.12 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. noun A chasm or fissure.

   The Grand Canyon is a rift in the Earth's surface, but is smaller than some of the undersea ones.

2. noun A lack of cohesion; a state of conflict, incompatibility, or emotional distance.

   My marriage is in trouble: the fight created a rift between us and we can't reconnect.

3. noun A break in the clouds, fog, mist etc., which allows light through.
4. noun A shallow place in a stream; a ford.
5. verb To form a rift; to split open.
6. verb To cleave; to rive; to split.

   to rift an oak

7. verb To belch.
8. verb past participle of rive

   The mightie trunck halfe rent, with ragged riftDoth roll adowne the rocks, and fall with fearefull drift.

Similar words

breach rupture break severance falling out chink cleft fissure cleavage leakage

Often followed by

valley between in with system and zone valleys of

Word family

rifted rifting rifts