rifle
1a 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.
one of the grooves.
a cannon with such grooves.
Often Rifles . any of certain military units or bodies equipped with rifles.
to cut spiral grooves within (a gun barrel, pipe, etc.).
to propel (a ball) at high speed, as by throwing or hitting with a bat.
Origin of rifle
1Words Nearby rifle
Other definitions for rifle (2 of 2)
to ransack and rob (a place, receptacle, etc.).
to search and rob (a person).
to plunder or strip bare.
to steal or take away.
Origin of rifle
2synonym study For rifle
Other words from rifle
- rifler, noun
Words that may be confused with rifle
- riffle, rifle
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use rifle in a sentence
Preece maneuvered toward the ball as it floated toward him, then rifled it into the back of the net for the game-winning goal.
With an Adele song as its battle cry, a lowly English soccer club looks to rewrite history | Glynn A. Hill | January 21, 2021 | Washington PostOne of the Patriot Prayer supporters who carried an AR-15 rifle into the Statehouse was charged with pepper-spraying six police officers.
“Sense of Entitlement”: Rioters Faced Few Consequences Invading State Capitols. No Wonder They Turned to the U.S. Capitol Next. | by Jeremy Kohler | January 19, 2021 | ProPublicaThe officer who shot Lemp did so, prosecutors concluded, after Lemp ignored commands to raise his hands as he got out of his bed, grabbed an assault-style rifle and pointed it at the officer, the report said.
Body-cam video in fatal Duncan Lemp raid confirms police did not record shooting | Dan Morse | January 11, 2021 | Washington PostThe post was accompanied by a selfie of Barnett with a rifle strapped to his chest.
Man who posed at Pelosi desk said in Facebook post that he is prepared for violent death | Jon Swaine | January 7, 2021 | Washington PostThe truck, parked across the street from the party offices and near the entrance to a Metro station, contained rifles and shotguns, a great deal of ammunition, and other unspecified material, these people said.
Woman dies after shooting in U.S. Capitol; D.C. National Guard activated after mob breaches building | Washington Post Staff | January 7, 2021 | Washington Post
In their midst stands a soldier with the Lebanese armed forces in a red beret, sporting an assault rifle and an unblinking stare.
A Sunni-Shia Love Story Imperiled by al Qaeda | Ruth Michaelson | December 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe used the powerful assault rifle issued to all guards on tower duty.
My rifle was in my shoulder in that familiar and powerful position.
I crossed the room with my rifle up, stood on top of the bed, and from my perch looked down at bin Laden.
At one point McShane stopped suddenly, and pointed to what looked like a rifle protruding from a window.
Honoring The Late John Doar, A Nearly Forgotten Hero Of The Civil Rights Era | Gary May | November 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThere was no fighting; a rifle shot now and then from the crests where we saw our fellows clearly.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian HamiltonOne Turkish Company, about a hundred strong, was making an ugly push within rifle shot of our ship.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian HamiltonOur batteries last night did not fire a shot and the men had to drive back the enemy by rifle fire.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian HamiltonMacRae's seat, stone-marker, and aboriginal spearhead; the three lined up like the sights of a modern rifle.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. SinclairIn the fall the barrel of his rifle had been so covered with dead leaves and dust that he could not take aim.
Hunting the Lions | R.M. Ballantyne
British Dictionary definitions for rifle (1 of 2)
/ (ˈraɪfəl) /
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
(as modifier): rifle fire
(formerly) a large cannon with a rifled bore
one of the grooves in a rifled bore
(plural)
a unit of soldiers equipped with rifles
(capital when part of a name): the Rifle Brigade
to cut or mould spiral grooves inside the barrel of (a gun)
to throw or hit (a ball) with great speed
Origin of rifle
1British Dictionary definitions for rifle (2 of 2)
/ (ˈraɪfəl) /
to search (a house, safe, etc) and steal from it; ransack
to steal and carry off: to rifle goods from a shop
Origin of rifle
2Derived forms of rifle
- rifler, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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