Definitions for rifleˈraɪ fəl

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Random House Webster's College Dictionary

ri•fleˈraɪ fəl(n.; v.)-fled, -fling.

  1. (n.)a shoulder firearm with a rifled bore.

  2. a rifled cannon .

  3. rifles, a military unit equipped with rifles.

  4. (v.t.)to cut spiral grooves within (a gun barrel, pipe, etc.).

  5. to propel (a ball) at high speed.

Origin of rifle:

1745–55; < LG rīfeln to groove, der. of rīve, riefe groove, furrow; akin to OE rifelede wrinkled

ri•fleˈraɪ fəl(v.t.)-fled, -fling.

  1. to ransack and rob.

  2. to steal and take away.

Origin of rifle:

1325–75; ME < OF rifler to scratch, strip, plunder, prob. < Gmc; cf. OHG riffilōn to tear

ri′fler(n.)

Princeton's WordNet

  1. rifle(verb)

    a shoulder firearm with a long barrel and a rifled bore

    "he lifted the rifle to his shoulder and fired"

  2. plunder, despoil, loot, reave, strip, rifle, ransack, pillage, foray(verb)

    steal goods; take as spoils

    "During the earthquake people looted the stores that were deserted by their owners"

  3. rifle, go(verb)

    go through in search of something; search through someone's belongings in an unauthorized way

    "Who rifled through my desk drawers?"

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

  1. rifle(noun)ˈraɪ fəl

    a long gun

    a hunting rifle

Wiktionary

  1. rifle(Noun)

    A long firearm firing a single projectile, usually with a rifled barrel to improve accuracy.

  2. rifle(Verb)

    to search with intent to steal; to ransack, pillage or plunder.

  3. rifle(Verb)

    To scan many items (especially papers) in a set, quickly. (See also riffle)

    She made a mess when she rifled through the stack of papers, looking for the title document.

  4. rifle(Verb)

    To add a spiral to the interior of a gun bore to make a fired bullet spin in flight to improve range and accuracy.

  5. rifle(Verb)

    To strike something with great power.

  6. Origin: from rifler, from Old Low Franconian *riffilōn (compare obsolete rijffelen 'to scrape', geriflian, riffeln, riffilōn), frequentative of rīfanan (compare rifa). More at rive.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Rifle(verb)

    to seize and bear away by force; to snatch away; to carry off

  2. Rifle(verb)

    to strip; to rob; to pillage

  3. Rifle(verb)

    to raffle

  4. Rifle(verb)

    to raffle

  5. Rifle(verb)

    to commit robbery

  6. Rifle(noun)

    a gun, the inside of whose barrel is grooved with spiral channels, thus giving the ball a rotary motion and insuring greater accuracy of fire. As a military firearm it has superseded the musket

  7. Rifle(noun)

    a body of soldiers armed with rifles

  8. Rifle(noun)

    a strip of wood covered with emery or a similar material, used for sharpening scythes

  9. Rifle(verb)

    to grove; to channel; especially, to groove internally with spiral channels; as, to rifle a gun barrel or a cannon

  10. Rifle(verb)

    to whet with a rifle. See Rifle, n., 3


Translations for rifle

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary

rifle(verb)

to search (through something)

The thief rifled through the drawers.

Get even more translations for rifle »


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