chisel

[ chiz-uh l ]
/ ˈtʃɪz əl /

noun

verb (used with object), chis·eled, chis·el·ing or (especially British) chis·elled, chis·el·ling.

verb (used without object), chis·eled, chis·el·ing or (especially British) chis·elled, chis·el·ling.

to work with a chisel.
to trick; cheat.

Origin of chisel

1325–75; Middle English < Anglo-French, variant of Old French cisel < Vulgar Latin *cīsellus, diminutive of *cīsus, for Latin caesus, past participle of caedere to cut, with -ī- generalized from prefixed derivatives; cf. excide

OTHER WORDS FROM chisel

chis·el·like, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for chisel

British Dictionary definitions for chisel

chisel
/ (ˈtʃɪzəl) /

noun

  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 -els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled

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

Word Origin for chisel

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