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. Astronomy.,  Chisel, the constellation Caelum.

verb (used with object)

chiseled, chiseling , chiselled, chiselling .

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)

chiseled, chiseling , chiselled, chiselling .

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 Word Forms

• chisel-like adjective
• chisellike 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

Zhong likens this to a sculptor chiseling away at marble until the final form emerges.

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I’ve heard that some souvenir hunters were caught hanging around near Cleopatra’s Needle late at night with hammers and chisels.

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The marks of chisels and other hand tools are prominent across all their surfaces, which appear sleek from a distance, making for an exciting juxtaposition between material and method.

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But when he has more time, he prefers snorkeling in riverbeds where he chisels into bedrock.

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Redford’s most memorable roles were arguably those that exploited the juxtaposition of the actor’s chiseled, class-president good looks and his ability to conjure up a scarred and hostile psyche.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blade 
• knife