To break in pieces; divide.To bruise; indent.To fall out or shatter, as overripe hops or grain.To fade away; alter.n. A young herring of the common kind, occurring in large shoals, and formerly classed as a separate species, Clupea minima.n. A general name for animals upon which whales feed, as Clio borealis, etc.; whale-brit.n. An abbreviation of British and Britain.