chisel

[ chiz-uhl ]

noun

1. a wedgelike tool with a cutting edge at the end of the blade, often made of steel, used for cutting or shaping wood, stone, etc.
2. chisel plow.
3. Chisel, Astronomy. the constellation Caelum.

verb (used with object)

, chis·eled, chis·el·ing or (especially British) chis·elled, chis·el·ling.

1. to cut, shape, or fashion by or as if by carving with a chisel.
2. to cheat or swindle (someone):

   He chiseled me out of fifty dollars.

3. to get (something) by cheating or trickery:

   He chiseled fifty dollars out of me.

verb (used without object)

, chis·eled, chis·el·ing or (especially British) chis·elled, chis·el·ling.

1. to work with a chisel.
2. to trick; cheat.

chisel

/ ˈtʃɪzəl /

noun

1. 1. a hand tool for working wood, consisting of a flat steel blade with a cutting edge attached to a handle of wood, plastic, etc. It is either struck with a mallet or used by hand
   2. a similar tool without a handle for working stone or metal

verb

1. to carve (wood, stone, metal, etc) or form (an engraving, statue, etc) with or as with a chisel
2. slang.
   to cheat or obtain by cheating

Other Words From

• chis·el-like chis·el·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of chisel¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Anglo-French, variant of Old French cisel, from unattested Vulgar Latin cīsellus, diminutive of unattested cīsus, for Latin caesus, past participle of caedere “to cut,” with -ī- generalized from prefixed derivatives; excide

Word History and Origins

Origin of chisel¹

C14: via Old French, from Vulgar Latin cīsellus (unattested), from Latin caesus cut, from caedere to cut

Example Sentences

Alternatively, it might just be a personal DIY job they want assistance with, or just some company while they potter and chisel away.

From BBC

Carrying sledge hammers, scientists hiked to the impact site in South Africa to chisel off chunks of rock to understand the crash.

From BBC

The Metropolitan Police said two protesters hit the protective enclosure around the historic document with a hammer and chisel on Friday.

From BBC

The pair of protesters from Just Stop Oil, a group that has caused widespread disruption in Britain in its campaign to end to the world’s reliance on fossil fuels, pounded on the case with a hammer and chisel.

From Seattle Times

They stooped to cut the right-size stalks at the base with a sudden jab of an asparagus knife, a tool that resembles a fireplace poker with a forked chisel tip instead of a point.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blade
• knife