grooving, rifling
(noun) the cutting of spiral grooves on the inside of the barrel of a firearm
Source: WordNet® 3.1
rifling (plural riflings)
The act or process of making the grooves in a rifled cannon or gun barrel.
The system of grooves in a rifled gun barrel or cannon. Shunt rifling, rifling for cannon, in which one side of the groove is made deeper than the other, to facilitate loading with shot having projections which enter by the deeper part of the grooves.
(card games) The act or process of letting playing cards cascade down one at a time towards the table (or one's hand), controlling the speed and flow with one's thumb, which sits on the top edges of the cards.
rifling
present participle of rifle
Source: Wiktionary
Ri"fling, n. (a) The act or process of making the grooves in a rifled cannon or gun barrel. (b) The system of grooves in a rifled gun barrel or cannon. Shunt rifling, rifling for cannon, in which one side of the groove is made deeper than the other, to facilitate loading with shot having projections which enter by the deeper part of the grooves.
Ri"fle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rifled; p. pr. & vb. n. Rifling.] Etym: [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. Shak.
3. To raffle. [Obs.] J. Webster.
Ri"fle, v. i.
1. To raffle. [Obs.] Chapman.
2. To commit robbery. [R.] Bp. Hall.
Ri"fle, n. Etym: [Akin to Dan. rifle, or riffel, the rifle of a gun, a chamfer (cf. riffel, riffelbösse, 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 As a military firearm it has superseded the musket.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.)
Definition: 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, v. 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, n., 3.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
2 April 2025
(adjective) secret or hidden; not openly practiced or engaged in or shown or avowed; “covert actions by the CIA”; “covert funding for the rebels”
Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.
