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rifle

[rahy-fuh

Origin

noun

a shoulder firearm with spiral grooves cut in the inner surface of the gun barrel to give the bullet a rotatory motion and thus a more precise trajectory.

one of the grooves.

a cannon with such grooves.

(often initial capital letter

) rifles, any of certain military units or bodies equipped with rifles.

verb (used with object)

to cut spiral grooves within (a gun barrel, pipe, etc.).

to propel (a ball) at high speed, as by throwing or hitting with a bat.

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Rifle is one of our favorite verbs.

So is lollygag. Does it mean:

to spend time idly; loaf.

to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about.

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Origin:
1745–55; < Low German rīfeln to groove, derivative of rīve, riefe groove, flute, furrow; akin to Old English rifelede wrinkled

Dictionary.com Unabridged

verb (used with object), -fled, -fling.

to ransack and rob (a place, receptacle, etc.).

to search and rob (a person).

to plunder or strip bare.

to steal or take away.

Origin:
1325–75; Middle English rifel < Old French rifler to scratch, strip, plunder

Related forms

ri·fler, noun

Synonyms
1. See rob.

Link To rifle

Collins

World English Dictionary

rifle¹ (ˈraɪf^əl)

—n
1.	a. a firearm having a long barrel with a spirally grooved interior, which imparts to the bullet spinning motion and thus greater accuracy over a longer range
	b. (as modifier): rifle fire
2.	(formerly) a large cannon with a rifled bore
3.	one of the grooves in a rifled bore
4.	(plural)
	a. a unit of soldiers equipped with rifles
	b. (capital when part of a name): the Rifle Brigade

—vb
5.	to cut or mould spiral grooves inside the barrel of (a gun)
6.	to throw or hit (a ball) with great speed

[C18: from Old French rifler to scratch; related to Low German rifeln from riefe groove, furrow]

rifle² (ˈraɪf^əl)

—vb
1.	to search (a house, safe, etc) and steal from it; ransack
2.	to steal and carry off: to rifle goods from a shop

[C14: from Old French rifler to plunder, scratch, of Germanic origin]

'rifler²

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

rifle

1775, "portable firearm having a spirally grooved bore," used earlier of the grooves themselves (1751), noun use of rifled (pistol), 1689, from verb meaning "to cut spiral grooves in" (a gun barrel), 1635, probably from Fr. rifler, from O.Fr. rifler "to scratch or groove" (see rifle (v.)).

EXPAND

rifle

"to plunder," 1326 (implied in rifling), from O.Fr. rifler "strip, plunder," lit. "to graze, scratch," probably from a Gmc. source (cf. O.E. geriflian "to wrinkle," O.H.G. riffilon "to tear by rubbing," O.N. rifa "to tear, break").

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