Ri"fle, 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 As a military firearm it has superseded the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.