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rifle

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(rī′fəl)

to cut spiral grooves on the inside of (a gun barrel, etc.)
☆
Origin: < riflethe
to hurl or throw with great speed

Origin: Fr rifler, to scrape, scratch < OFr < MHG riffeln, to scratch, heckle (flax) < OHG riffilon, akin to ripple

noun

1. ☆ a gun, fired from the shoulder, with spiral grooves cut into the inner surface of the barrel
2. a rifled artillery piece
troops armed with rifles

Origin: short for rifled gun

transitive verb rifled, rifling

1. to ransack and rob (a place); pillage; plunder
2. Now Rare to search and rob (a person)
to take as plunder; steal

Origin: ME riflen < OFr rifler, to plunder, orig., to scratch: see rifle

Related Forms:

rifler noun

See rifle in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

a. A firearm with a rifled bore, designed to be fired from the shoulder.
b. An artillery piece or naval gun with such spiral grooves.
rifles Troops armed with rifles.

transitive verb ri·fled, ri·fling, ri·fles

To cut spiral grooves within (a gun barrel, for example).

Origin:

Origin: From rifle, to cut spiral grooves in

Origin: , from French rifler

Origin: , from Old French, to plunder, scratch; see rifle²

verb ri·fled, ri·fling, ri·fles

verb, transitive

To search with intent to steal.
To ransack or plunder; pillage.
To rob: rifle a safe.

verb, intransitive

To search vigorously: rifling through my drawers to find matching socks.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English riflen, to plunder

Origin: , from Old French rifler

Origin: , probably of Germanic origin

Related Forms:

riˈfler noun

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