Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Rifle?

\Ri"fle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Rifled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Rifling}.] [F. rifler to rifle, sweep away; of uncertain origin. CF. {Raff}.] 1. To seize and bear away by force; to snatch away; to carry off. Till time shall rifle every youthful grace. --Pope. 2. To strip; to rob; to pillage. --Piers Plowman. Stand, sir, and throw us that you have about ye: If not, we'll make you sit and rifle you. --Shak. 3. To raffle. [Obs.] --J. Webster.
\Ri"fle\, v. i. 1. To raffle. [Obs.] --Chapman. 2. To commit robbery. [R.] --Bp. Hall.
\Ri"fle\, n. [Akin to Dan. rifle, or riffel, the rifle of a gun, a chamfer (cf. riffel, riffelb["o]sse, a rifle gun, rifle to rifle a gun, G. riefeln, riefen, to chamfer, groove), and E. rive. See {Rive}, and cf. {Riffle}, {Rivel}.] 1. A gun, the inside of whose barrel is grooved with spiral channels, thus giving the ball a rotary motion and insuring greater accuracy of fire. As a military firearm it has superseded the musket. 2. pl. (Mil.) A body of soldiers armed with rifles. 3. A strip of wood covered with emery or a similar material, used for sharpening scythes. {Rifle pit} (Mil.), a trench for sheltering sharpshooters.
\Ri"fle\, v. t. 1. To grove; to channel; especially, to groove internally with spiral channels; as, to rifle a gun barrel or a cannon. 2. To whet with a rifle. See {Rifle}, n., 3.