Emily Dickinson Lexicon

RI'FLE, n. [Dan. rifle, or riffle, the rifle of a gun; riffelbösse, a rifle gun; G. reifeln, to chamfer, to rifle. This word belongs to the family of rip, rive, L. rapio, &c. supra. The word means primarily a channel or groove.]

A gun about the usual length and size of a musket, the inside of whose barrel is rifled, that is, grooved, or formed with spiral channels.