riffle

[rif-uh l] /ˈrɪf əl/
verb (used with object), verb (used without object), riffled, riffling.
1.
to turn hastily; flutter and shift:
to riffle a stack of letters; to riffle through a book.
2.
Cards. to shuffle by dividing the deck in two, raising the corners slightly, and allowing them to fall alternately together.
3.
to cause or become a riffle.
noun
4.
a rapid, as in a stream.
5.
a ripple, as upon the surface of water.
6.
Mining. the lining of transverse bars or slats on the bed of a sluice, arranged so as to catch heavy minerals, as gold or platinum.
7.
a hopper for distributing bulk material.
8.
the act or method of riffling cards.
Origin
1630-40; blend of ripple1 and ruffle1
Related forms
unriffled, adjective
Can be confused
riffle, rifle.
Examples from the web for riffle
  • Pool-and riffle-level composition of habitats in the study segments.
  • riffle areas usually form between two bends at the point where the thalweg crosses over from one side of the channel to the other.
  • Survey a typical cross section of a riffle reach at a location where the stream is free to adjust its boundaries.
  • Pool riffle complexes are designed to direct the flow towards the center of the channel.
  • During the spring, riffle areas are popular fishing sites.
  • riffle length: the thalweg distance between the top and bottom of a riffle.
  • riffle gradient: the change in elevation from the top to the bottom of riffle divided by the length of the riffle.
  • riffle areas offered cobble and boulders as well as water willow as primary cover types.
  • Repeat the above steps at a second location in the riffle with a different flow velocity.
  • Experimental sites are generally riffle habitat, but often had a combination of fast water and slow margin habitat.
British Dictionary definitions for riffle

riffle

/ˈrɪfəl/
verb
1.
when intr, often foll by through. to flick rapidly through (the pages of a book, magazine, etc), esp in a desultory manner
2.
to shuffle (playing cards) by halving the pack and flicking the adjacent corners together
3.
to make or become a riffle
noun
4.
(US & Canadian)
  1. a rapid in a stream
  2. a rocky shoal causing a rapid
  3. a ripple on water
5.
(mining) a contrivance on the bottom of a sluice, containing transverse grooves for trapping particles of gold
6.
the act or an instance of riffling
Word Origin
C18: probably from ruffle1, influenced by ripple1
Word Origin and History for riffle
v.

1754, "to make choppy water," American English, perhaps a variant of ruffle "make rough." The word meaning "shuffle" (cards) is first recorded 1894, probably echoic; hence that of "skim, leaf through quickly" (of papers, etc.) is from 1922. Related: Riffled; riffling.

Slang definitions & phrases for riffle

riffle 1

noun

A hard swing at the ball; ripple: gives it a really good solid riffle

[1932+ Baseball; probably fr ripple fr rip]


riffle 2

noun

: Give that deck a good riffle

verb

To shuffle playing cards (1894+ Cardplaying)

[probably echoic]