Quick Definition
I break, break forth
Strong's Definition
G2608 (κατάγνυμι) being its intensive (with the preposition in composition), and G2352 (θραύω) a shattering to minute fragments; but not a reduction to the constituent particles, like G3089 (λύω)) or disrupt, lacerate; by implication, to convulse (with spasms); figuratively, to give vent to joyful emotions
Derivation: both prolonged forms of (which appears only in certain forms, and is itself probably a strengthened form of (see in G2608 (κατάγνυμι))) to "break," "wreck" or "crack", i.e. (especially) to sunder (by separation of the parts;
KJV Usage: break (forth), burst, rend, tear
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ῤήγνυμι (Mat_9:17) and ῤήσσω (Homer, Iliad 18, 571; 1Ki_11:31; Mar_2:22 R G L marginal reading; Mar_9:18 (Luk_5:37 L marginal reading; (see below))); future ῤήξω; 1 aorist ἔρρηξα; present passive 3 person plural ῤήγνυνται; from Homer down; the Sept. for αΘΜχΗς and χΘψΗς ; to rend, burst or break asunder, break up, break through;
a. universally: τούς ἀσκούς, Mar_2:22; Luk_5:37; passive, Mat_9:17; equivalent to to tear in pieces (A. V. rend): τινα, Mat_7:6.
b. namely, εὐφροσύνην (previously chained up, as it were), to break forth into joy: Gal_4:27, after Isa_54:1 (the full phrase is found in Isa_49:13; Isa_52:9; (cf. Buttmann, § 130, 5); in classical Greek ῥηγνύναι κλαυθμόν, οἰμωγήν, δάκρυα, especially φωνήν is used of infants or dumb persons beginning to speak; cf. Passow, under the word, 2, vol. ii., p. 1332{a} ; (Liddell and Scott, under the word I. 4 and 5)).
c. equivalent to σπαράσσω, to distort, convulse: of a demon causing convulsions in a man possessed, Mar_9:18; Luk_9:42; in both passages many (so R. V. text) explain it to dash down, hurl to the ground (a common occurrence in cases of epilepsy); in this sense in Artemidorus Daldianus, oneir. 1, 60 a wrestler is said ῤῆξαι τόν ἀντιπαλον. Hesychius gives ῤῆξαι. καταβαλεῖν. Also ῥηξε. κατέβαλε. Cf. Kuinoel or Fritzsche on Mar_9:18. (Many hold that ῤήσσω in this sense is quite a different word from ῤήγνυμι (and its collateral or poetic ῤήσσω), and akin rather to (the onomatopoetic) ἀράσσω, ῤάσσω, to throw or dash down; cf. Lobeck in Alexander Buttmann (1873) Ausf: Spr. § 114, under the word ῤήγνυμι; Curtius, Das Verbum, pp. 162, 315; Schmidt, Syn., chapter 113, 7. See as examples Wis_4:19; Hermas, mand. 11, 3 [ET]; Apostolic Constitutions, 6, 9, p. 165, 14. Cf. προσρήγνυμι.) (Compare: διαρηγνυμι, περιρήγνυμι, προσρήγνυμι.) [SYNONYMS: ῤήγνυμι, κατάγνυμι, θραύω: ῤήγνυμι to rend, rend asunder, makes pointed reference to the separation of the parts; κατάγνυμι to break, denotes the destruction of a thing's unity or completeness; θραύω to shatter, is suggestive of many fragments and minute dispersion. Cf. Schmidt, chapter 115]
STRONGS NT 4486: ῤήσσωῤήσσω, see ῤήγνυμι.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ῥήγνυμι rhēgnymi 1x
see ῥήσσω
ῥήσσω rhēssō 6x also spelled ῥήγνυμι 1x
in our text ( Mat_9:17 ). to rend, shatter; to break or burst in pieces Mat_9:17 ; Mar_2:22 ; Luk_5:37 ;
to rend, lacerate, Mat_7:6 ;
to cast or dash upon the ground, convulse, Mar_9:18 ; Luk_9:42 ;
absol. to break forth into exclamation, Gal_4:27
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ῥήγνυμι
and ( Mar_9:18 ) ῥήσσω ,
[in LXX chiefly for H1234 , also for H7167 , etc.;]
1. to rend, break asunder: Mat_7:6 , Mar_2:22 , Luk_5:37 ; pass ., Mat_9:17 .
2. Of the voice, c . acc , φωνήν , etc. ( Hdt ., al. ), to break forth into speech: absol. , Gal_4:27 ( LXX ).
3. = ῥήσσω (Dem., al. ), to throw or dash down: Mar_9:18 , Luk_9:42
( cf. δια -, περι -, προσ -ρήγνυμι ).†
SYN.: θραύω G2352 , κατάγνυμι G2608 .
ῥήσσω , see ῥήγνυμι .
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ῥήγνυμι / ῥήσσω [page 563]
rend, break asunder : P Leid V vii. 31 (iii/iv A.D.) (= II. p. 27) αἱ πέτραι ἀκούσασαι ῥήγυνται ( l . ῥήγνυνται ). Ῥήσσω is claimed as Ionic by Winer-Schmiedel, p. 19. For ῥάσσω see Mar_9:18 D. In the LXX ῥάσσω is not an alternative of ῥήσσω , but a form of ἀράσσω : see Thackeray Gr . i. p. 76.
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
ῥήγνυμι "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. "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. "to let break loose, let loose", id=Il. 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. δακρύων ῥήξασα νάματα "having let loose" floods of tears, Soph. ; so, ῥ. κλαυθμόν Plut. absol. in the form ῥήσσω, "to beat the ground, dance", Il. later, as a term of fighters, "to fell, knock down", Dem. Pass., mostly used in aor2 ἐρράγην [α], "to break, burst", of waves, Il. ; of clouds, Ar. "to break asunder, be rent", of the earth in an earthquake, Plat. ; of garments, Xen. "to burst forth", like lightning, Ar. of ships, "to be wrecked", Dem. : metaph. of hopes, Aesch. intr., like Pass., "to break forth", of a river, "to break its bounds", Hdt. :—metaph. of sudden misfortunes, bursts of passion, Soph. in this intr. sense the perf. ἔρρωγα is commonly used of tears, id=Soph. ; metaph., κακῶν πέλαγος ἔρρωγεν Aesch. , etc.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
ῥήγνυμι and (Mrk.9:18) ῥήσσω,
[in LXX chiefly for בָּקַע, also for קָרַע, etc. ;]
__1. to rend, break asunder: Mat.7:6, Mrk.2:22, Luk.5:37; pass., Mat.9:17.
__2. Of the voice, with accusative, φωνήν, etc. (Hdt., al.), to break forth into speech: absol., Gal.4:27 (LXX).
__3. = ῥήσσω (Dem., al.), to throw or dash down: Mrk.9:18, Luk.9:42
(cf. δια-, περι-, προσ-ρήγνυμι).†
SYN.: θραύω, κατάγνυμι (AS)