transitive verb

rifled, rifling

1. to cut spiral grooves on the inside of (a gun barrel, etc.)
2. ☆

   Origin of rifle

   < riflethe
   to hurl or throw with great speed

Origin of rifle

French rifler, to scrape, scratch ; from Old French ; from Middle High German riffeln, to scratch, heckle (flax) ; from Old High German riffilon, akin to ripple

noun

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

Origin of rifle

short for rifled gun