rifle 1
/ruy"feuhl/ , n. , v. , rifled, rifling .
n.
1. 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.
2. one of the grooves.
3. a cannon with such grooves.
4. ( often cap. ) rifles , any of certain military units or bodies equipped with rifles.
v.t.
5. to cut spiral grooves within (a gun barrel, pipe, etc.).
6. to propel (a ball) at high speed, as by throwing or hitting with a bat.
[ 1745-55; rifeln to groove, deriv. of rive, riefe groove, flute, furrow; akin to OE rifelede wrinkled ]
rifle 2
— rifler , n.
/ruy"feuhl/ , v.t., rifled, rifling .
1. to ransack and rob (a place, receptacle, etc.).
2. to search and rob (a person).
3. to plunder or strip bare.
4. to steal or take away.
[ 1325-75; ME rifel rifler to scratch, strip, plunder ]
Syn. 1. See rob .