Rifle - Dictionary Definition and Overview

Rifle :  (noun)

1: a shoulder firearm with a long barrel and a rifled bore; "he lifted the rifle to his shoulder and fired" (verb)
1: steal goods; take as spoils; "During the earthquake people looted the stores that were deserted by their owners" [syn: plunder, despoil, loot, reave, strip, ransack, pillage, foray]
2: go through in search of something; search through someone's belongings in an unauthorized way; "Who rifled through my desk drawers?" [syn: go]

Based on WordNet 2.0

Rifle : \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.

Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

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.

Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

Rifle : \Ri"fle\, v. i. 1. To raffle. [Obs.] --Chapman.

2. To commit robbery. [R.] --Bp. Hall.

Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

Rifle : \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 As a military firearm it has superseded the musket.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.

Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

Rifle, CO (city, FIPS 64255) Location: 39.53934 N, 107.77775 W Population (1990): 4636 (1984 housing units) Area: 10.0 sq km (land), 0.1 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 81650

Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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