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rifling

noun
ri·​fling | \ ˈrī-f(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rifling (audio) \

Definition of rifling

1 : the act or process of making spiral grooves
2 : a system of spiral grooves in the surface of the bore of a gun causing a projectile when fired to rotate about its longer axis

Examples of rifling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 There are small grooves — called rifling — twisting in a spiral down the barrels. — Leah Sottile, Longreads, "A Teen and a Toy Gun," 6 Feb. 2018 In real guns, the rifling propels the bullet out of the chamber in a spiraling motion. — Leah Sottile, Longreads, "A Teen and a Toy Gun," 6 Feb. 2018

First Known Use of rifling

1797, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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