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Webster 1913 Edition

Rifle

Ri′fle

,
Verb.
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.
Shakespeare
3.
To raffle.
[Obs.]
J. Webster.

Ri′fle

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To raffle.
[Obs.]
Chapman.
2.
To commit robbery.
[R.]
Bp. Hall.

Ri′fle

,
Noun.
[Akin to Dan.
rifle
, or
riffel
, the rifle of a gun, a chamfer (cf.
riffel
,
riffel
bösse, 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 As a military firearm it has superseded the musket.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.

Ri′fle

,
Verb.
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
,
Noun.
, 3.

Webster 1828 Edition

Rifle

RI'FLE

,
Verb.
T.
[This is one of the family of rip, rive, reap, raffle, L. rapio. Eng. rub, &c.]
1.
To seize and bear away by force; to snatch away.
Till time shall rifle ev'ry youthful grace.
2.
To strip; to rob; to pillage; to plunder.
You have rifled my master.

RI'FLE

,
Noun.
[This word belongs to the family of rip, rive, L. rapio, &c. supra. The word means primarily a channel or groove.]
A gun about the usual length and size of a musket, the inside of whose barrel is rifled, that is, grooved, or formed with spiral channels.

RI'FLE

,
Verb.
T.
To groove; to channel.

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