chisel
Americannoun
-
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.
-
Astronomy. Chisel, the constellation Caelum.
verb (used with object)
-
to cut, shape, or fashion by or as if by carving with a chisel.
-
to cheat or swindle (someone).
He chiseled me out of fifty dollars.
-
to get (something) by cheating or trickery.
He chiseled fifty dollars out of me.
noun
verb
-
to carve (wood, stone, metal, etc) or form (an engraving, statue, etc) with or as with a chisel
-
slang to cheat or obtain by cheating
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have chiselledperfect
-
has chiselledperfect 3rd person singular
-
have chiseledperfect
-
has chiseledperfect 3rd person singular
-
are chiselingprogressive
-
is chisellingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
am chisellingprogressive 1st person singular
-
chiselssingular 3rd person
-
has been chisellingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
chisellingparticiple
-
chiselingparticiple
-
is chiselingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
has been chiselingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
am chiselingprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been chisellingperfect progressive
-
have been chiselingperfect progressive
-
are chisellingprogressive
Past
-
had chiselledperfect
-
had chiseledperfect
-
was chisellingprogressive singular
-
were chisellingprogressive plural
-
had been chisellingperfect progressive
-
were chiselingprogressive plural
-
chiselledparticiple
-
chiseledsimple
-
was chiselingprogressive singular
-
chiseledparticiple
-
chiselledsimple
-
had been chiselingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of chisel
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; cf. excide
Explanation
When you carve a statue from a block of marble, you use a tool called a chisel to cut out the shape. Chisel is the name of the tool and also the name of the action. A chisel has a flat, sharp end. To carve using a chisel, you hit the back of it with a hammer or another blunt instrument. Chisel can also mean "to cheat." If someone chisels you out of your allowance, they shaved it away from you bit by bit.
Vocabulary lists containing chisel
Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
On a Pedestal: Marble-ous Words for Sculpture
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Failure is fatal only when the chisel is abandoned and despair prevails.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
“I had to put the table upside down and use a chisel and grinder to remove as much material as I could. It took us three tries to get the table right.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
“CMS is continuing to chisel away at higher spending associated with coding intensity,” says Tricia Neuman, executive director for the Program on Medicare Policy at KFF, a health policy nonprofit.
From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026
A simpler existence calls for simpler music and, working in the cosy attic space of Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady studios, Musgraves began to chisel away at her ideas.
From BBC • Apr. 5, 2024
He liked the sharp whistle of the plane as it slid over the board, and the ringing sound of the chisel on stone from the mason’s shed.
From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
