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

She also was handy, hammering nails into walls and using a heat gun to chisel glue off the floor.

From The Daily Beast

Ben Affleck can be an adequately chisel-jawed buffoon in spandex.

From The Daily Beast

You get  two to three hours in a little studio to chisel away.

From The Daily Beast

He stood up, crowbar in hand, and inserted the chisel blade of the implement between the edge of the door and the doorcase.

From Project Gutenberg

The round form of many of the latter is especially remarkable: they almost seem to have been cut out with a chisel.

From Project Gutenberg

At length, it was proposed by Dan Tyron to send for the stone cutter, and get him to cut them out of the wall with a chisel.

From Project Gutenberg

Jones then went aft to a locker near the stern, whence he returned with a mallet and chisel, and went below.

From Project Gutenberg

And sometimes they used the broad end of the brow antler instead of a stone chisel.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• blade
• knife