RIFFLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does riffle mean? 

• RIFFLE (noun)
  The noun RIFFLE has 2 senses:

1. a small wave on the surface of a liquid

2. shuffling by splitting the pack and interweaving the two halves at their corners

  Familiarity information: RIFFLE used as a noun is rare.

• RIFFLE (verb)
  The verb RIFFLE has 4 senses:

1. twitch or flutter

2. look through a book or other written material

3. stir up (water) so as to form ripples

4. shuffle (playing cards) by separating the deck into two parts and riffling with the thumbs so the cards intermix

  Familiarity information: RIFFLE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RIFFLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A small wave on the surface of a liquid

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

riffle; ripple; rippling; wavelet

Hypernyms ("riffle" is a kind of...):

moving ridge; wave (one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water))

Derivation:

riffle (stir up (water) so as to form ripples)

Sense 2

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("riffle" is a kind of...):

make; shuffle; shuffling (the act of mixing cards haphazardly)

Derivation:

riffle (shuffle (playing cards) by separating the deck into two parts and riffling with the thumbs so the cards intermix)

• RIFFLE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they riffle    ... he / she / it riffles   
Past simple: riffled   
Past participle: riffled   
-ing form: riffling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Twitch or flutter

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

flick; riffle; ruffle

Context example:

the paper flicked

Hypernyms (to "riffle" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Look through a book or other written material

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

flick; flip; leaf; riff; riffle; thumb

Context example:

She leafed through the volume

Hypernyms (to "riffle" is one way to...):

peruse (examine or consider with attention and in detail)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

The customs agents riffle the bags for drugs

Sense 3

Meaning:

Stir up (water) so as to form ripples

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

cockle; riffle; ripple; ruffle; undulate

Hypernyms (to "riffle" is one way to...):

flow; flux (move or progress freely as if in a stream)

"Riffle" entails doing...:

fold; fold up; turn up (bend or lay so that one part covers the other)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

riffle (a small wave on the surface of a liquid)

Sense 4

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "riffle" is one way to...):

mix; ruffle; shuffle (mix so as to make a random order or arrangement)

Domain category:

card game; cards (a game played with playing cards)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

riffle (shuffling by splitting the pack and interweaving the two halves at their corners)