rifle

¹ American  

[rahy-fuhl] / ˈraɪ fəl /

noun

1. a shoulder firearm with spiral grooves cut in the inner surface of the gun barrel to give the bullet a rotatory motion and thus a more precise trajectory.

2. one of the grooves.

3. a cannon with such grooves.

4. Often Rifles any of certain military units or bodies equipped with rifles.

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verb (used with object)

rifled, rifling

1. to cut spiral grooves within (a gun barrel, pipe, etc.).

2. to propel (a ball) at high speed, as by throwing or hitting with a bat.

rifle ² American  

[rahy-fuhl] / ˈraɪ fəl /

verb (used with object)

rifled, rifling

1. to ransack and rob (a place, receptacle, etc.).

2. to search and rob (a person).

3. to plunder or strip bare.

4. to steal or take away.

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rifle ¹ British  

/ ˈraɪfəl /

noun

1. 1. a firearm having a long barrel with a spirally grooved interior, which imparts to the bullet spinning motion and thus greater accuracy over a longer range

   2. ( as modifier )

      rifle fire

2. (formerly) a large cannon with a rifled bore

3. one of the grooves in a rifled bore

4. (plural)

   1. a unit of soldiers equipped with rifles

   2. ( capital when part of a name )

      the Rifle Brigade

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verb

1. to cut or mould spiral grooves inside the barrel of (a gun)

2. to throw or hit (a ball) with great speed

rifle ² British  

/ ˈraɪfəl /

verb

1. to search (a house, safe, etc) and steal from it; ransack

2. to steal and carry off

   to rifle goods from a shop

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Related Words

See rob.

Other Word Forms

• rifler noun

Etymology

Origin of rifle¹

An Americanism dating back to 1745–55; from Low German rīfeln “to groove,” derivative of rīve, riefe “groove, flute, furrow”; akin to Old English rifelede “wrinkled”

Origin of rifle²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English rifel, from Old French rifler “to scratch, strip, plunder”

Example Sentences

At the event, he wore dark glasses and camouflage fatigues, brandished an Israeli-made rifle and shouted revolutionary slogans.

From Barron's

The quiet of a Kyiv cemetery is broken by a trumpet salute, then a burst of rifle fire.

From BBC

The medallion’s front depicts a uniformed officer standing tall with a rifle by his side, surrounded by armed soldiers on all flanks.

From The Wall Street Journal

Starting as soon as this September, a squad of 10 to 12 trained professionals bound by state regulations will descend on the island to hunt the deer with rifles.

From Los Angeles Times

One is the Winchester Mystery House, a 160-room mansion the widow of the Winchester rifle company founder kept expanding over a century ago reportedly to appease spirits of the gun’s victims.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• rip