rifled

ri·fle ¹  (rfl)

n.

1.

a. A firearm with a rifled bore, designed to be fired from the shoulder.

b. An artillery piece or naval gun with such spiral grooves.

2. rifles Troops armed with rifles.

tr.v. ri·fled, ri·fling, ri·fles

To cut spiral grooves within (a gun barrel, for example).

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[From rifle, to cut spiral grooves in, from French rifler, from Old French, to plunder, scratch; see rifle².]

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ri·fle ²  (rfl)

v. ri·fled, ri·fling, ri·fles

v.tr.

1. To search with intent to steal.

2. To ransack or plunder; pillage.

3. To rob: rifle a safe.

v.intr.

To search vigorously: rifling through my drawers to find matching socks.

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[Middle English riflen, to plunder, from Old French rifler, probably of Germanic origin.]

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rifler n.

Thesaurus

Adj.

1.

rifled - of a firearm; having rifling or internal spiral grooves inside the barrel smoothbore, unrifled - of a firearm; not having rifling or internal spiral grooves inside the barrel