I.to break, break asunder or in pieces, rend, shiver, shatter, Hom., etc.:—to rend garments, in sign of grief, Aesch.:—Mid. to break for oneself, get broken, Il.
2.to break a line of battle or body of men, id=Il., Hdt.; in Mid., ῥήξασθαι φάλαγγας, στίχας to break oneself a way through the lines, Il.; absol., ῥήξασθαι to break or force one's way, id=Il.
3.to let break loose, let loose, id=Il.
4.ῥῆξαι φωνήν to let loose the voice, of children and persons who have been dumb breaking into speech, Hdt.: then to speak freely, speak out (like rumpere vocem, Virgil), id=Hdt., Ar., etc.
II.absol. in the form ῥήσσω, to beat the ground, dance, Il.
III.later, as a term of fighters, to fell, knock down, Dem.
2.to break asunder, be rent, of the earth in an earthquake, Plat.; of garments, Xen.
3.to burst forth, like lightning, Ar.
4.of ships, to be wrecked, Dem.: metaph. of hopes, Aesch.
C.intr., like Pass., to break forth, of a river, to break its bounds, Hdt.:—metaph. of sudden misfortunes, bursts of passion, Soph.
