Lexic.us

Definition of Riffle

1. Noun. A small wave on the surface of a liquid.

2. Verb. Twitch or flutter. "The paper flicked"

3. Noun. Shuffling by splitting the pack and interweaving the two halves at their corners.

4. Verb. Look through a book or other written material. "The customs agents riffle the bags for drugs "; "She leafed through the volume"

5. Verb. Stir up (water) so as to form ripples.

6. Verb. Shuffle (playing cards) by separating the deck into two parts and riffling with the thumbs so the cards intermix.

Definition of Riffle

1. n. 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 a trough. Also called ripple.

2. n. A ripple in a stream or current of water; also, a place where the water ripples, as on a shallow rapid.

Definition of Riffle

1. Noun. A fast-flowing, shallow part of a stream causing broken water. ¹

2. Noun. A succession of small waves. ¹

3. Noun. 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. ¹

4. Noun. A quick skim through the pages of a book. ¹

5. Noun. The act of shuffling cards; the sound made while shuffling cards. ¹

6. Verb. (intransitive) To flow over a fast moving shallow part of a stream. ¹

7. Verb. (transitive) To ruffle with a rippling action. ¹

8. Verb. (intransitive) To skim or flick through the pages of a book. ¹

9. Verb. (transitive) To leaf through rapidly. ¹

10. Verb. (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. ¹

11. Verb. (transitive) To idly manipulate objects with the fingers. ¹

12. Verb. (transitive) To prepare samples of material using a riffler. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Riffle

1. to flip through hastily [v -FLED, -FLING, -FLES]

Medical Definition of Riffle

1. 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 a trough. Also called ripple. Origin: CF. G. Riffeln, riefeln, to groove. Cf. Rifle a gun. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Riffle

rifapentine rife rifely rifeness rifenesses rifer rifest riff riff-raff riffage

riffages riffed riffier riffiest riffing riffle (current term) riffled rifflers riffles riffling

riffly riffraff riffraffs riffs riffwise riffy rifle rifle ball

Literary usage of Riffle

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. An American Glossary by Richard Hopwood Thornton (1912)
"riffle—contd. 1843 [Captain Guion] says there are six rapids or "ripples" in ... 243," App. 1851 Strike down thar [in the river] outside that little riffle. ..."

2. The Resources of California by John Shertzer Hittell (1867)
"In some sluices the cleaning up does not occur until the riffle-bars have ... Five or six sets of riffle-bars, a distance of thirty or thirty-five feet, ..."

3. The Resources of California: Comprising the Society, Climate, Salubrity by John Shertzer Hittell (1874)
"The block riffle-bars are three times more durable than the longitudinal; and as the latter kind are worn out in a week in some large sluices, ..."

4. Transactions of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and (1915)
"Development of the Butchart riffle System at Morenci BY DAVID COLE!, MORENCI, ... THE BUTCHART riffle SYSTEM. During the past three years there has been ..."

5. Standard Methods of Chemical Analysis: A Manual of Analytical Methods and by Wilfred Welday Scott (1917)
"riffle Sampler. nium nitrate are added and the sample diluted to 200 cc. ... Large Portion Method.1 The sample is quartered by a riffle sampler (see Fig. ..."

6. Ore Dressing: In Four Volumes & Index by Robert Hallowell Richards (1903)
"in 24 hours (35.8 pounds for each riffle box) assaying $103 per ton. ... This construction causes a depositing eddy at the head of each riffle space. ..."

7. The Metallurgy of Gold by Thomas Kirke Rose (1898)
"riffle Surfaced Belts for the Frue Vanner.—The smooth belt vanner, just described, ... The riffle-belted Frue vanner is worked at a greater inclination, ..."

8. The Metallurgy of Gold by Thomas Kirke Rose (1898)
"riffle Surfaced Belts for the Frue Vanner.—The smooth belt vanner, just described, ... The riffle-belted Frue vanner is worked at a greater inclination, ..."

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