ri·fle 1 (r  f l)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). [From rifle, to cut spiral grooves in, from French rifler, from Old French, to plunder, scratch; see rifle2.] |
| 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. [Middle English riflen, to plunder, from Old French rifler, probably of Germanic origin.] ri fler n. |
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