Rent \Rent\, n. (Polit. Econ.)
   (a) That portion of the produce of the earth paid to the landlord for the use of the ``original and indestructible powers of the soil;'' the excess of the return from a given piece of cultivated land over that from land of equal area at the ``margin of cultivation.'' Called also economic, or Ricardian, rent. Economic rent is due partly to differences of productivity, but chiefly to advantages of location; it is equivalent to ordinary or commercial rent less interest on improvements, and nearly equivalent to ground rent.
   (b) Loosely, a return or profit from a differential advantage for production, as in case of income or earnings due to rare natural gifts creating a natural monopoly.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Rend \Rend\ (r[e^]nd), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rent (r?nt); p. pr. & vb. n. Rending.]

[AS. rendan, hrendan; cf. OFries. renda, randa, Fries. renne to cut, rend, Icel. hrinda to push, thrust, AS. hrindan; or cf. Icel. r?na to rob, plunder, Ir. rannaim to divide, share, part, W. rhanu, Armor. ranna.]

1. To separate into parts with force or sudden violence; to tear asunder; to split; to burst; as, powder rends a rock in blasting; lightning rends an oak.

The dreadful thunder Doth rend the region. --Shak.

2. To part or tear off forcibly; to take away by force.

An empire from its old foundations rent. --Dryden.

I will surely rend the kingdom from thee. --1 Kings xi. 11.

To rap and rend. See under Rap, v. t., to snatch.

Syn: To tear; burst; break; rupture; lacerate; fracture; crack; split.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Rent \Rent\ (r?nt), v. i. To rant. [R. & Obs.]

--Hudibras.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Rent \Rent\, imp. & p. p. of Rend.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Rent \Rent\, n. [From Rend.]

1. An opening made by rending; a break or breach made by force; a tear.

See what a rent the envious Casca made. --Shak.

2. Figuratively, a schism; a rupture of harmony; a separation; as, a rent in the church.

Syn: Fissure; breach; disrupture; rupture; tear; dilaceration; break; fracture.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Rent \Rent\, v. t. To tear. See Rend. [Obs.]

--Chaucer.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Rent \Rent\, n. [F. rente, LL. renta, fr. L. reddita, fem. sing. or neut. pl. of redditus, p. p. of reddere to give back, pay. See Render.]

1. Income; revenue. See Catel. [Obs.]

``Catel had they enough and rent.'' --Chaucer.

[Bacchus] a waster was and all his rent In wine and bordel he dispent. --Gower.

So bought an annual rent or two, And liv'd, just as you see I do. --Pope.

2. Pay; reward; share; toll. [Obs.]

Death, that taketh of high and low his rent. --Chaucer.

3. (Law) A certain periodical profit, whether in money, provisions, chattels, or labor, issuing out of lands and tenements in payment for the use; commonly, a certain pecuniary sum agreed upon between a tenant and his landlord, paid at fixed intervals by the lessee to the lessor, for the use of land or its appendages; as, rent for a farm, a house, a park, etc.

Note: The term rent is also popularly applied to compensation for the use of certain personal chattels, as a piano, a sewing machine, etc.

Black rent. See Blackmail, 3.

Forehand rent, rent which is paid in advance; foregift.

Rent arrear, rent in arrears; unpaid rent. --Blackstone.

Rent charge (Law), a rent reserved on a conveyance of land in fee simple, or granted out of lands by deed; -- so called because, by a covenant or clause in the deed of conveyance, the land is charged with a distress for the payment of it. --Bouvier.

Rent roll, a list or account of rents or income; a rental.

Rent seck (Law), a rent reserved by deed, but without any clause of distress; barren rent. A power of distress was made incident to rent seck by Statute 4 George II. c. 28.

Rent service (Eng. Law), rent reserved out of land held by fealty or other corporeal service; -- so called from such service being incident to it.

White rent, a quitrent when paid in silver; -- opposed to black rent.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Rent \Rent\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rented; p. pr. & vb. n. Renting.]

[F. renter. See Rent, n.]

1. To grant the possession and enjoyment of, for a rent; to lease; as, the owwner of an estate or house rents it.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Rent \Rent\, v. i. To be leased, or let for rent; as, an estate rents for five hundred dollars a year.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)