Dictionary

riffle en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈɹɪfəl/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Possible alteration of ruffle, from Middle English ruffelen, akin to Low German ruffelen (“to crumple”).

Meanings

1. A swift, shallow part of a stream causing broken water.
   • [...] Brook Drain has now been diverted into a newly dug replacement river section [...]. It has been designed in conjunction with the Environment Agency to hold a much larger volume of water, in order to help with local flooding issues. It also features riffles (shallow sections of water) and side pools where aquatic wildlife can take shelter during storms. 2020 April 8, Paul Stephen, “ECML dive-under drives divergence”, in Rail, page 43:
   • They then proceeded below the milldam, where there was a strong riffle, with likely looking pools and eddies 1903, James Alexander Henshall, Bass, Pike, Perch and other Game Fishes of America:
   • The big trout feed aggressively and tend to lose their caution in the rifles. 2017, Bill Barich, “On the Glories of Autumn”, in California Fly Fisher:
2. A succession of small waves.
3. A trough or sluice having cleats, grooves, or steps across the bottom for holding quicksilver and catching particles of gold when auriferous earth is washed. Also one of the cleats, grooves or steps in such trough.
4. A quick skim through the pages of a book.
5. Synonym of riffle shuffle
6. The sound made while shuffling cards.

Forms

Deriveds

riffly · riffle bug · make the riffle · riffle beetle · riffle shuffle · cheater riffle

Hyponyms

white water

Synonyms

riffle shuffle

Translations (15)

fi väre (succession of small waves) · fi selaus (quick skim through the pages of a book) · su parung (swift, shallow part of a stream causing broken water) · bg прелистване (quick skim through the pages of a book) · bg корито (mining: trough or sluice, or the cleats or grooves in it) · fi virtapaikka (swift, shallow part of a stream causing broken water) · fi vire (succession of small waves) · fi rihla (mining: trough or sluice, or the cleats or grooves in it) · bg разбъркване (act of shuffling playing cards) · ru перекат (swift, shallow part of a stream causing broken water) · fi sekoittaminen (act of shuffling playing cards) · mi riwhiriwhi (act of shuffling playing cards) · fi ränni (mining: trough or sluice, or the cleats or grooves in it) · bg бързей (swift, shallow part of a stream causing broken water) · fi kare (succession of small waves)

riffle en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈɹɪfəl/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Possible alteration of ruffle, from Middle English ruffelen, akin to Low German ruffelen (“to crumple”).

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To flow over a swift, shallow part of a stream.
2. (transitive) To ruffle with a rippling action.
3. (intransitive) To skim or flick through the pages of a book.
4. (transitive) To leaf through rapidly.
   • Near-synonym: rifle
5. (transitive) To shuffle playing cards by separating the deck in two and sliding the thumbs along the edges of the cards to mix the two parts.
6. (transitive) To idly manipulate objects with the fingers.
7. (transitive) To prepare samples of material using a riffler.

Forms

Synonyms

rifle

riffle en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈɹɪfəl/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Danish [Term?] (“a groove”). Compare rifle (“to score, to make grooves”) and the past participle riflet (“scored, grooved, rifled”), riffeln with the same meaning. Also see rifle (“a rifled gun”).

Meanings

1. In seal engraving, a small metal disc at the end of a tool.

Forms

Deriveds

riffler