I. ˈrifəl noun
( -s )
Etymology: perhaps alteration (influenced by ripple ) of ruffle
1.
a. : a shallow extending across the bed of a stream over which the water flows swiftly so that the surface of the water is broken in waves
passed a very bad riffle of rocks in the evening — G.R.Clark
also : any expanse of shallow bottom causing broken water
channel into the port was hard to navigate due to reef patches and riffle — Michael Rosene
b. : a stretch of water flowing over a riffle
fish the riffles; cast in swift white water — Richard Salmon
c. : a wave of a riffle
white-topped riffles racing past their heads out in midstream — H.L.Davis
2.
a. : a small wave or succession of small waves : ripple
a riffle of laughter passed among them — Virginia A. Oakes
flats and slow swells, breaking here and there into riffles of rounded foothills — Russell Lord
b. : a patch of ripples or small waves (as caused by a light breeze) on an otherwise calm or unbroken surface of water
the march of riffles across the water marked the approach of the breeze — R.J.Smith
could see a little riffle of dark coming along where the morning northerly was making up — G.W.Brace
a riffle caused by a school of fish
3.
[ riffle (II) ]
a. : the act or process of shuffling (as cards)
the dealer merely manipulated the riffle so that a disproportionate number of splits appeared — C.B.Davis
specifically : riffle-shuffle
b. : the sound made while doing this
heard the stiff riffle of cards — Wallace Stegner
II. verb
( riffled ; riffled ; riffling -f(ə)liŋ ; riffles )
intransitive verb
1. : to form a riffle : flow over a riffle : move in riffles
a fish nosed the surface … and the water riffled and lay quiet again — A.B.Guthrie
riffling brooks
our flags riffling in the breeze — Shelby Foote
2. : to engage in turning or mixing lightly or hastily (as in cursory search of something) : run , skim — usually used with through
riffled through hundreds of letters and cards — M.L.Bach
riffle through one's files
riffle through a manuscript
watched a child riffle through the gifts under a tree — New Yorker
transitive verb
1.
a. : to ruffle slightly : form undulations in : ripple
flag riffled by the breeze
fish- riffled sloughs — Ford Times
b. : to produce as riffles
choppy waves, riffled by the wind — Wyman Richardson
2.
a. : to stir or shift lightly or hastily (as in cursory search of something) : leaf through (as a book) rapidly or hastily
riffled my field guidebook — D.C.Peattie
riffle the papers on the desk top
b. : to leaf or thumb (a stack of pieces of paper) by holding in one hand and sliding the thumb of the other hand along the edge so as to release sheets successively from the pressure of the thumb or by holding against a flat surface and thumbing similarly by lifting one side or corner with the thumb of the same hand
would riffle the cards … then deal — C.B.Davis
riffling the cards with his white hands — Grace Metalious
riffle the bills
c. : to shuffle (playing cards) by separating the deck into two parts that are laid flat on the table, elevating a corner or side of each part of the pack slightly, and thumbing in such a manner that the two parts are intermixed and then sliding the entire pack together
d. : to manipulate (a stack of objects) idly between the fingers of one hand or of both hands
fingers of his right hand, rapidly riffling a little pile of chips — Richard Donovan & H.M.Greenspun
the sheriff riffled his coins — H.L.Davis
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably from riffle (I)
1.
a.
(1) : any of various contrivances (as blocks, rails, poles, or iron bars often combined with sacking, matting, or hides with the hair up) laid on the bottom of a sluice or launder to make a series of grooves or interstices to catch and retain a mineral (as gold)
(2) : a groove or interstice so formed
b. or riffle bar : a bar or cleat in a riffle, table, cradle, or similar gold-washing apparatus
2. also riffle block
a.
(1) : a cleat or bar fastened to an inclined surface (as of a Wilfley table) to catch and hold mineral grains
(2) : the groove formed by two such parallel cleats or bars
b. : one of a series of cleats or bars used (as in a trough) to separate foreign matter from any material (as paper pulp) suspended in flowing water
3. : a device for dividing ground ore or other material (as in sampling) consisting usually of an even number of narrow sloping troughs of equal width with adjacent troughs discharging in opposite directions or of a series of parallel troughs separated by gaps of the same width as the troughs
4. : a transverse board in a fishway to check the flow of the current and afford a resting pool for ascending fish
IV. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. : to run (a material) through a riffle or over a series of riffles
riffle ground ore in sampling
riffle pulp in paper manufacture
2. : to run the point of the trowel along the center of a spread of (mortar) in bricklaying