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The system of grooves in a rifled gun barrel or cannon. Shunt rifling, rifling for cannon, in which one side of the groove is made deeper than the other, to facilitate loading with shot having projections which enter by the deeper part of the grooves.

Being of small value or importance; trivial; paltry; as, a trifling debt; a trifling affair. -- Tri"fling*ly, adv. -- Tri"fling*ness, n.

Without reality; having no solid foundation; empty; trifling; visionary. "Airy fame." Shak. Empty sound, and airy notions. Roscommon.

to imitate in a servile manner. Hence: Apelike; fantastically silly; foppish; affected; trifling. The apish gallantry of a fantastic boy. Sir W. Scott.

A trifling piece of finery; a gewgaw; that which is gay and showy without real value; a cheap, showy plaything. The ineffective bauble of an Indian pagod. Sheridan.

Resembling a boy in a manners or opinions; belonging to a boy; childish; trifling; puerile. A boyish, odd conceit. Baillie.

nt images, or by a contrast between the subject and the manner of treating it, as when a trifling subject is treated with mock gravity; jocular; ironical. It is a dispute among the critics, whether burlesque poetry runs best in heroic verse, like that of the Dispensary, or in doggerel, like that of Hudibras. Addison.…

, or around the rotating band of a gun projectile to lessen the resistance offered to the rifling. Also, a groove around the base of a cartridge, where the extractor takes hold. --Can"ne*lured (#), a.

child, I wonder Shak. To be with child, to be pregnant. -- Child's play, light work; a trifling contest.

Peurile; trifling; weak. Methinks that simplicity in her countenance is rather childish than innocent. Addison.

In the manner of a child; in a trifling way; in a weak or foolish manner.

Familiar or trifling talk; prattle.

erence. The collision of contrary false principles. Bp. Warburton. Sensitive to the most trifling collisions. W. Irving.

In a manner or to a degree not trifling or unimportant; greatly; much. The breeds . . . differ considerably from each other. Darwin.

Attempts to attract admoration, notice, or love, for the mere gratification of vanity; trifling in love. "Little affectations of coquetry." Addison.

A vain, trifling woman, who endeavors to attract admiration from a desire to grafity vanity; a flirt; -- formerly sometimes applied also to men.

The act of dallying, trifling, or fondling; interchange of caresses; wanton play. Look thou be true, do not give dalliance Too mnch the rein. Shak. O, the dalliance and the wit, The flattery and the strifeTennyson.

To waste time in trifling employment; to trifle; to saunter. Come some evening and dawdle over a dish of tea with me. Johnson. We . . . dawdle up and down Pall Mall. Thackeray.

One who wastes time in trifling employments; an idler; a trifler.

Foolish; silly; trifling. [R.]