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Definition of "rifle" []

  • A firearm with a rifled bore, designed to be fired from the shoulder. (noun)
  • An artillery piece or naval gun with such spiral grooves. (noun)
  • Troops armed with rifles. (noun)
  • To cut spiral grooves within (a gun barrel, for example). (verb-transitive)
  • To search with intent to steal. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "rifle" in a sentence
  • "So that Weaterby 300WSM, sub moa rifle is my favorite round and rifle for Wapiti, though the new Browning is also making a stron case for my field time."
  • "Jim in NC -- As long as a rifle is accurate and has a good trigger, Dave will like it no matter how much or little it costs."
  • "Second, the rifle is as you see it here — not a mark, not a scratch, not a ding, despite considerable use."