rifle
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈɹaɪfəl/
rhymes: -aɪfəl
Forms: form: rifles
form: rifling
form: rifled
form: rifled
Etymology: 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.
Senses: examples: text: She made a mess when she rifled through the stack of papers, looking for the title document.
glosses: To quickly search through many items (such as papers, the contents of a drawer, a pile of clothing). (See also riffle)
examples: text: Thither repair at accustomed times their harlots […] not with empty hands, for they be as skilful in picking, rifling, and filching as the upright men.
ref: 1566, Thomas Harman, A Caveat or Warning for Common Cursitors:
glosses: To commit robbery or theft.
examples: text: thine enemies […]shall ransack and rifle all the things of Edom; and shall search out all thy hidden commodities, and carry them away at once
ref: 1633, Joseph Hall, A paraphrase upon the hard texts of Scripture:
glosses: To search with intent to steal; to ransack, pillage or plunder.
examples: text: Stand, sir, and throw us that you have about ye: / If not, we'll make you sit and rifle you.
ref: c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene v]:
text: Ben, in his long, lonely wanderings about the island, had found the skeleton — it was he that had rifled it; he had found the treasure; he had dug it up […]
ref: 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:
glosses: To strip of goods; to rob; to pillage.
examples: text: Time shall rifle every youthful grace.
ref: 1715–1720, Homer, translated by Alexander Pope, “Book I”, in The Iliad of Homer, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC:
glosses: To seize and bear away by force; to snatch away; to carry off.
glosses: To add a spiral groove to a gun bore to make a fired bullet spin in flight in order to improve range and accuracy.
examples: text: Davies's cross was headed away from danger by Robert Huth, only for Baird to take the ball in his stride and rifle his right-footed effort towards the corner from the edge of the box.
ref: 2010 December 28, Marc Vesty, “Stoke 0 - 2 Fulham”, in BBC:
text: 2011 Fighting for Gold: The Story of Canada's Sledge Hockey Paralympic Gold by Lorna Schultz Schultz Nicholson
But a Norwegian player rifled off a point shot that sailed into the back of the net.
glosses: To cause (a projectile, as a rifle bullet) to travel in a flat ballistic trajectory.
examples: text: The ball rifled off the bat.
ref: 2014, Alexander Rebelle, Lights of Summer: The Run for Glory:
glosses: To move in a flat ballistic trajectory (as a rifle bullet).
examples: text: I've at one throw / Rifled away the diadem of Spain; […]
ref: c. 1600 (date written; first published 1657), attributed to Thomas Dekker, John Day, William Houghton, Lust’s Dominion: Or, The Lascivious Queen. A Tragedie, London: […] J. Chappell, Jun. […], published 1818, →OCLC, Act V, scene i, page 68:
text: If you like not that course but intend to be rid of her , rifle her at a tavern , where you may swallow down some fifty wiseacres ' sons and heirs to old tenements and common gardens , like so many raw yolks with muscadine to bedward Kate.
ref: 1605, John Webster, Northward Ho:
glosses: To dispose of in a raffle.
examples: text: We'll strike up a drum, set up a tent, call people together, put crowns apiece, let's rifle for her
ref: 1596, George Chapman, The Blind Beggar of Alexandria:
glosses: To engage in a raffle.