riff

Meanings

Noun

• A repeated instrumental melody line in a song.
• A clever or witty remark.
• A variation on something.
• A spoof.
• The belly; the bowels.

Verb

• To improvise in the performance or practice of an art, especially by expanding on or making novel use of traditional themes.
• To riffle.

Origin

• Uncertain. Perhaps a , or an alteration of refrain.
• From Middle English *rif (found only in midrif), from Old English hrif, from Proto-West Germanic *hrif, from Proto-Germanic *hrefaz, from Proto-Indo-European *krep-. corpus.