rifle

== English == === 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. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɹaɪfəl/ Rhymes: -aɪfəl === Noun === rifle (plural rifles) (weaponry) A firearm fired from the shoulder; improved range and accuracy is provided by a long, rifled barrel. Hypernyms: firearm < gun < ranged weapon < weapon (military, usually in the plural, dated) A rifleman. (weaponry) An artillery piece with a rifled barrel. A strip of wood covered with emery or a similar material, used for sharpening scythes. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === rifle (third-person singular simple present rifles, present participle rifling, simple past and past participle rifled) (intransitive) To quickly search through many items (such as papers, the contents of a drawer, a pile of clothing). Near-synonym: riffle (intransitive) To commit robbery or theft. (transitive) To search with intent to steal. Synonyms: ransack, pillage, plunder, loot (transitive) To strip of goods; to rob; to pillage. (transitive) To seize and bear away by force; to snatch away; to carry off. (transitive) To add a spiral groove to a gun bore to make a fired bullet spin in flight in order to improve range and accuracy. (transitive) To cause (a projectile, as a rifle bullet) to travel in a flat ballistic trajectory. 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. (intransitive) To move in a flat ballistic trajectory (as a rifle bullet). (transitive, obsolete) To dispose of in a raffle. (intransitive, obsolete) To engage in a raffle. ==== Translations ==== === References === “rifle”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “rifle”, in The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. === Anagrams === Filer, Friel, filer, flier, lifer == Catalan == === Etymology === Borrowed from English rifle. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Northern, Balearic, Central) [ˈri.flə] IPA(key): (Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈri.fle] === Noun === rifle m (plural rifles) rifle === Further reading === “rifle”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 “rifle”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026 “rifle” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “rifle”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan) == Chavacano == === Etymology === Inherited from Spanish rifle (“rifle”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈriple/, [ˈri.ple] Hyphenation: ri‧fle === Noun === rifle rifle == Czech == === Etymology === Genericized trademark of the Italian company Rifle. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈrɪflɛ] === Noun === rifle f pl jeans, denims (pair of trousers made from denim cotton) Synonyms: džínsy, džíny, (dated) texasky Hypernym: kalhoty ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === “rifle”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957 “rifle”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989 “rifle”, in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu (in Czech) “rifle”, in Akademický slovník cizích slov at prirucka.ujc.cas.cz [Academic dictionary of foreign words] (in Czech), 1995 “rifle”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026 == French == === Etymology 1 === Borrowed from English rifle. First attested in 1833. ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /ʁifl/, /ʁajfl/ ==== Noun ==== rifle m (plural rifles) rifle (carabine) ===== Related terms ===== === Etymology 2 === ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /ʁifl/ ==== Verb ==== rifle inflection of rifler: first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive second-person singular imperative === Further reading === “rifle”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 === Anagrams === filer == Norwegian Bokmål == === Etymology === Apparently from Middle Low German or Low German riffel, but compare Danish riffel. === Noun === rifle f or m (definite singular rifla or riflen, indefinite plural rifler, definite plural riflene) (firearm) a rifle ==== Derived terms ==== jaktrifle === References === “rifle” in The Bokmål Dictionary. == Norwegian Nynorsk == === Etymology === As above. === Noun === rifle f (definite singular rifla, indefinite plural rifler, definite plural riflene) (firearm) a rifle ==== Derived terms ==== jaktrifle === References === “rifle” in The Nynorsk Dictionary. == Portuguese == === Alternative forms === refle === Etymology === Borrowed from English rifle, from Middle English, from Old French rifler (“to scrape off, plunder”), from Old Low Franconian Old Dutch *rifillon, frequentative of Proto-Germanic *rīfaną. === Pronunciation === Hyphenation: ri‧fle === Noun === rifle m (plural rifles) rifle Synonyms: escopeta, espingarda, fuzil, refle === Further reading === “rifle”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “rifle”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 “rifle”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN == Spanish == === Etymology === Borrowed from English rifle. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈrifle/ [ˈri.fle] Rhymes: -ifle Syllabification: ri‧fle === Noun === rifle m (plural rifles) rifle Synonym: fusil === Further reading === “rifle”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025