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Added 9 October 2026

rifle

/ˈɹaɪfəl/ noun

In Latin: sclopetum Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about rifle at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A firearm fired from the shoulder; improved range and accuracy is provided by a long, rifled barrel.
A rifleman.
An artillery piece with a rifled barrel.

verb

To quickly search through many items (such as papers, the contents of a drawer, a pile of clothing).
She made a mess when she rifled through the stack of papers, looking for the title document.
To commit robbery or theft.
To search with intent to steal.

Origin

Originally short for “rifled gun”, referring to the spiral grooves inside the barrel. From Middle English riflen (“to rob, plunder, search through”), from Old French rifler (“to lightly scratch, scrape off, plunder”), from Old High German riffilōn (compare German riffeln (“to score, make grooves in, ripple”), archaic Dutch rijfelen (“to scrape”), Old English rifelan, riflian (“to wrinkle”)), frequentative of Proto-Germanic *rīfaną (compare Old Norse rífa (“to tear, break”)). More at rive.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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