rifling

¹ American  

[rahy-fling] / ˈraɪ flɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of cutting spiral grooves in a gun barrel, pipe, etc.

2. the system of spiral grooves so cut.

---

rifling ² American  

[rahy-fling] / ˈraɪ flɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of ransacking or robbing.

---

rifling British  

/ ˈraɪflɪŋ /

noun

1. the cutting of spiral grooves on the inside of a firearm's barrel

2. the series of grooves so cut

---

Etymology

Origin of rifling¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; rifle ¹ + -ing ¹

Origin of rifling²

rifle ² + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rifling

A few days later, rifling through my wallet, I passed a small red-and-gold card decorated with lucky cats and a rising sun.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

Officers searched their home for hours, rifling through personal belongings.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

Who better to tell the tale of the city than the man who has spent years rifling through its junk?

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

In any other part of civilized society, rifling through someone else’s diary is considered an outrageous invasion of privacy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026

“Cameron, you startled me,” she said as if she was on a soap opera and had been caught rifling through someone else’s desk.

From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth

Related Words

• rip