rifle

Pluralrifles

Formsrifles, rifling, rifled

1. 1
   nouncountable

   A long gun that you hold against your shoulder to shoot.

   The hunter carried a rifle through the woods.

   Soldiers learn to clean their rifles every day.

   Similargun

   Note
2. 2
   verbintransitive

   To look through papers, drawers, or bags very quickly to find something.

   Like flipping fast through the pages of a book to find one picture.

   She rifled through her bag for her keys.

   Don't rifle through my desk while I'm gone.

   Similarrummage, riffle, search, root

   Note
3. 3
   verbtransitive

   To cut twisting lines inside a gun barrel so the bullet spins and flies straighter.

   Gun makers rifle each barrel before they put the gun together.

   The old workshop rifled hundreds of barrels by hand every year.

4. 4
   verbtransitive

   To search a place or bag quickly and steal things from it.

   Someone rifled her purse while she was swimming.

   Thieves can rifle a hotel room in minutes.

   Similarransack, loot, burgle, plunder

5. 5
   verbtransitive

   To rob a person or place and take everything of value.

   Robbers rifled the travelers and left them with nothing.

   Raiders would rifle every village along the coast.

   Similarrob, pillage, plunder, loot, strip

   Note
6. 6
   verbintransitive

   To steal things or act as a robber.

   The gang rifled all along the highway that winter.

   Hungry soldiers will rifle when no one pays them.

   Similarsteal, plunder, rob, loot, pillage

7. 7
   verbtransitive

   To grab something and carry it away by force.

   The eagle rifled a fish right out of the water.

   Strong winds can rifle the hat right off your head.

   Similarsnatch, grab, seize, wrench

   Note
8. 8
   verbtransitive

   To throw, kick, or shoot something very hard, fast, and straight.

   She rifled the ball into the top corner of the goal.

   He can rifle a snowball clear across the yard.

   Similarfire, whip, zip

   Note
9. 9
   verbintransitive

   To fly very fast, hard, and straight through the air.

   The puck rifled past the goalie into the net.

   Watch the ball rifle off his bat when he connects.

   Similarzip, whiz, shoot, rocket

10. 10
    nouncountable

    A very large army gun, like a cannon, with twisting lines cut inside its barrel.

    Six horses pulled the heavy rifle up the muddy hill.

    The fort's big rifles could hit ships far out at sea.

    Similargun, cannon

    Note
11. 11
    nouncountable

    A strip of wood with a rough coating, used to sharpen long farm blades.

    The farmer rubbed the rifle along the blade before cutting more hay.

    Each mower carried a rifle for touching up his blade during the harvest.

    Similarstrickle

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