riffle

American  

[rif-uhl] / ˈrɪf əl /

verb (used with or without object)

riffled, riffling

1. to turn hastily; flutter and shift.

   to riffle a stack of letters; to riffle through a book.

2. Cards. to shuffle by dividing the deck in two, raising the corners slightly, and allowing them to fall alternately together.

3. to cause or become a riffle.

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noun

1. a rapid, as in a stream.

2. a ripple, as upon the surface of water.

3. Mining. the lining of transverse bars or slats on the bed of a sluice, arranged so as to catch heavy minerals, as gold or platinum.

4. a hopper for distributing bulk material.

5. the act or method of riffling cards.

riffle British  

/ ˈrɪfəl /

verb

1. to flick rapidly through (the pages of a book, magazine, etc), esp in a desultory manner

2. to shuffle (playing cards) by halving the pack and flicking the adjacent corners together

3. to make or become a riffle

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noun

1. 1. a rapid in a stream

   2. a rocky shoal causing a rapid

   3. a ripple on water

2. mining a contrivance on the bottom of a sluice, containing transverse grooves for trapping particles of gold

3. the act or an instance of riffling

Other Word Forms

• unriffled adjective

Etymology

Origin of riffle

1630–40; blend of ripple ¹ and ruffle ¹

Example Sentences

The stream banks were denuded of vegetation and the riffle crests obliterated as the choked stream tried to reach the sea.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025

He makes some questionable moves himself, like allowing Vivian to riffle through the discovery documents, and the two become unlikely, close friends.

From Salon • Feb. 16, 2022

Wyoming’s rivers would be difficult to monitor for enforcing closures because temperatures fluctuate widely throughout the day and from riffle to hole, said David Zafft, fish management coordinator for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 5, 2021

Someone — I think it was John Ashbery — said that you can usually pick up a book of poems, riffle through it and tell in about 10 seconds if it’s for you.

From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2021

She could open it and riffle through the pages and find the answers she needed.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee