Rifle

/ˈraɪfəl/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A shoulder-fired firearm designed to fire a single projectile or to shoot multiple projectiles at one time.

The soldier slung his rifle across his back as he marched into the battlefield.

A long gun with a rifled barrel.

He aimed his rifle at the target, adjusting the sights for long-range accuracy.

verb

To search through something in a hurried or untidy manner; to ransack.

The burglars rifled through the drawers looking for valuables.

To make a groove or grooves in (a barrel or other object).

The gunsmith rifled the barrel to improve the accuracy of the firearm.

Middle French 'rifler', meaning to scrape or scratch.

to rifle through

To search through something hastily.

rifle shot

A shot fired from a rifle.

shotgun

A firearm that is designed to shoot a large number of small shot or a single slug.

carbine

A lightweight, shorter-barreled rifle.

A rifle can refer to a well-built or attractive person.

That guy is a real rifle.