whittle

[ hwit-l, wit-l ]

/ ˈʰwɪt l, ˈwɪt l /

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See synonyms for whittle on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), whit·tled, whit·tling.

to cut, trim, or shape (a stick, piece of wood, etc.) by carving off bits with a knife.

to form by whittling: to whittle a figure.

to cut off (a bit).

to reduce the amount of, as if by whittling; pare down; take away by degrees (usually followed by down, away, etc.): to whittle down the company's overhead; to whittle away one's inheritance.

verb (used without object), whit·tled, whit·tling.

to whittle wood or the like with a knife, as in shaping something or as a mere aimless diversion: to spend an afternoon whittling.

to tire oneself or another by worrying or fussing.

noun

British Dialect. a knife, especially a large one, as a carving knife or a butcher knife.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of whittle

1375–1425; late Middle English (noun), dialectal variant of thwitel knife, Old English thwīt(an) to cut + -el-le

OTHER WORDS FROM whittle

whittler, noun

Other definitions for whittle (2 of 2)

Whittle

[ hwit-l, wit-l ]

/ ˈʰwɪt l, ˈwɪt l /

noun

Sir Frank, 1907–96, English engineer and inventor.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use whittle in a sentence

A list of 400 disagreements over the document has been whittled down to just two.
CIA Torture Report ‘Days’ Away, Feinstein Says|Tim Mak|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With Thriller, we took 800 songs and whittled them down to nine.
Quincy Jones Talks Chicago’s Mean Streets, Why Kanye West Is No Michael Jackson, and Bieber|Marlow Stern|September 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And if the oligarchs around him, whom he helped create, see their billions of dollars whittled down a bit?
Is the U.S. Enabling Putin's Invasion?|Christopher Dickey|August 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By the time the House and Senate agreed to a farm bill last month, that was whittled down to $8.7 billion over 10 years.
Paul Ryan: Still a Total Jerk|Michael Tomasky|April 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Eventually the producers whittled the group down to the four "pirates" in the film.
Barkhad Abdi: From Limo Driver to Oscar Contender|Tim Teeman|February 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then he took the white bits of wood which had been under the bark and he whittled away at the ends.
Seven O'Clock Stories|Robert Gordon Anderson
Out came the magic knife and he whittled away at the little sticks; whittled and whistled and smiled all the time.
Seven O'Clock Stories|Robert Gordon Anderson
And as the Toyman whittled sometimes he whistled, and sometimes he sang a funny song in a funny voice.
Seven O'Clock Stories|Robert Gordon Anderson
As for Ren, he sat on the single doorstep and whittled pegs on which to hang his rifle inside the door.
The Amazing Interlude|Mary Roberts Rinehart
On the surface they were of a greenish hue, but when whittled with a knife their true character appeared.
Gold-Seeking on the Dalton Trail|Arthur R. Thompson

British Dictionary definitions for whittle (1 of 2)

whittle

/ (ˈwɪtəl) /

verb

to cut or shave strips or pieces from (wood, a stick, etc), esp with a knife

(tr) to make or shape by paring or shaving

(tr; often foll by away, down, off, etc) to reduce, destroy, or wear away gradually

Northern English dialect (intr) to complain or worry about something continually

noun

British dialect a knife, esp a large one

Derived forms of whittle

whittler, noun

Word Origin for whittle

C16: variant of C15 thwittle large knife, from Old English thwitel, from thwītan to cut; related to Old Norse thveitr cut, thveita to beat

British Dictionary definitions for whittle (2 of 2)

Whittle

/ (ˈwɪtəl) /

noun

Sir Frank. 1907–96, English engineer, who invented the jet engine for aircraft; flew first British jet aircraft (1941)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for whittle

Whittle

[ wĭt′l ]

Sir Frank 1907-1996

British aeronautical engineer and inventor who developed the first aircraft engine powered by jet propulsion in 1937.

whittle

Origin of whittle

OTHER WORDS FROM whittle

Other definitions for whittle (2 of 2)

Words related to whittle

How to use whittle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for whittle (1 of 2)

Derived forms of whittle

Word Origin for whittle

British Dictionary definitions for whittle (2 of 2)

Scientific definitions for whittle