rifling
1 Americannoun
-
the act or process of cutting spiral grooves in a gun barrel, pipe, etc.
-
the system of spiral grooves so cut.
noun
noun
-
the cutting of spiral grooves on the inside of a firearm's barrel
-
the series of grooves so cut
Etymology
Origin of rifling1
First recorded in 1790–1800; rifle 1 + -ing 1
Origin of rifling2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But she has deep knowledge of women’s pay: As an economist, she spent years rifling through boxes of surveys and personnel records and tracking down data to document women’s changing role in the workplace.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
Jovic stuck the knife in with four minutes remaining, rifling home a powerful low finish which gave the hosts a margin of victory which didn't truly reflect the balance of play.
From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026
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 • Nov. 21, 2025
One by one the Aberdeen men held their nerve, not just scoring but rifling in their penalties with an authority.
From BBC • May 24, 2025
As the announcement day neared, I began making harried after-work trips to the department stores at Water Tower Place, rifling through the dwindling midseason supply of winter wear, hunting the clearance racks in vain.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
