. A sporting rifle for use at short ranges, employing a large charge of powder and a light (short) bullet, giving a high initial velocity and consequently a flat trajectory. It is usually of moderately large caliber. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

A rifle adapted to minie balls. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Till time shall rifle every youthful grace. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To strip; to rob; to pillage. Piers Plowman. [ 1913 Webster ]

Stand, sir, and throw us that you have about ye:
If not, we'll make you sit and rifle you. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To raffle. [ Obs. ] J. Webster. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To raffle. [ Obs. ] Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To commit robbery. [ R. ] Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ 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 As a military firearm it has superseded the musket. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. pl. (Mil.) A body of soldiers armed with rifles. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A strip of wood covered with emery or a similar material, used for sharpening scythes. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rifle pit (Mil.), a trench for sheltering sharpshooters. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To grove; to channel; especially, to groove internally with spiral channels; as, to rifle a gun barrel or a cannon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To whet with a rifle. See Rifle, n., 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) Any one of several species of beautiful birds of Australia and New Guinea, of the genera Ptiloris and Craspidophora, allied to the paradise birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The largest and best known species is Ptiloris paradisea of Australia. Its general color is rich velvety brown, glossed with lilac; the under parts are varied with rich olive green, and the head, throat, and two middle tail feathers are brilliant metallic green. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Rifleman (Mil.) A soldier armed with a rifle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who rifles; a robber. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or } n. (Mil.) A breech-loading rifle formerly used in the British service; -- so called from the inventor. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ OE. trifle, trufle, OF. trufle mockery, raillery, trifle, probably the same word as F. truffe truffle, the word being applied to any small or worthless object. See Truffle. ] 1. A thing of very little value or importance; a paltry, or trivial, affair. [ 1913 Webster ]

With such poor trifles playing. Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Trifles light as air
Are to the jealous confirmation strong
As proofs of holy writ. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Small sands the mountain, moments make year,
And frifles life. Young. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A dish composed of sweetmeats, fruits, cake, wine, etc., with syllabub poured over it. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Trifled p. pr. & vb. n. Trifling ] [ OE. trifelen, truflen. See Trifle, n. ] To act or talk without seriousness, gravity, weight, or dignity; to act or talk with levity; to indulge in light or trivial amusements. [ 1913 Webster ]

They trifle, and they beat the air about nothing which toucheth us. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

To trifle with, to play the fool with; to treat without respect or seriousness; to mock; as, to trifle with one's feelings, or with sacred things. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To make of no importance; to treat as a trifle. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To spend in vanity; to fritter away; to waste; as, to trifle away money. “We trifle time.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who trifles. Waterland. [ 1913 Webster ]