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.

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rifling ² American  

[rahy-fling] / ˈraɪ flɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of ransacking or robbing.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of rifling¹

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

Origin of rifling¹

rifle ² + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

When she wasn’t glued to her phone, she was rifling through the racks at thrift stores or ordering Hello Kitty memorabilia online.

From Los Angeles Times

Still, even in a movie where people are always skulking around rifling through each other’s things, his claim that he chose a drunken late night to confront Maggie about plagiarism sounds inconceivable.

From Los Angeles Times

We meet in Notting Hill's Music and Video Exchange – the shop that kick-started his record collection – and it's only when he starts rifling through the racks that the 50-year-old comes to life.

From BBC

"We are all more than one mistake," he said, adding that Labour was "terrified" of his popularity if they were "rifling through stories from a long time ago where I was clearly misrepresented".

From BBC

Detectives described rifling through her garbage bins for leftovers, doctors outlined the gradual but brutal decline of the victims' health, and Patterson's estranged husband emotionally explained the souring nature of their relationship.

From BBC

Related Words

• rip