The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Rift \Rift\, obs.
   p. p. of Rive. --Spenser.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Rift \Rift\, n. [Written also reft.] [Dan. rift, fr. rieve to
   rend. See Rive.]
   1. An opening made by riving or splitting; a cleft; a
      fissure. --Spenser.
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   2. A shallow place in a stream; a ford.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Rift \Rift\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rifted; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Rifting.]
   To cleave; to rive; to split; as, to rift an oak or a rock;
   to rift the clouds. --Longfellow.
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         To dwell these rifted rocks between.     --Wordsworth.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Rift \Rift\, v. i.
   1. To burst open; to split. --Shak.
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            Timber . . . not apt to rif with ordnance. --Bacon.
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   2. To belch. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

rift
    n 1: a gap between cloud masses; "the sun shone through a rift
         in the clouds"
    2: a narrow fissure in rock
    3: a personal or social separation (as between opposing
       factions); "they hoped to avoid a break in relations" [syn:
       rupture, breach, break, severance, rift, falling
       out]