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
French superstar Mbappe had a goal ruled out for handball moments before Morocco international Ounahi fired Girona ahead, rifling home from just inside the area to stun their illustrious visitors.
From Barron's • Nov. 30, 2025
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
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 • Jul. 7, 2025
They’re in the hut right now, hunched over slips of paper, scratching away with colored pencils, rifling through German dictionaries.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
