English Explanatory Dictionary

chisel

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A cutting tool used to remove parts of stone, wood or metal by pushing or pounding the back when the sharp edge is against the material. It consists of a slim, oblong block of metal with a sharp wedge or bevel formed on one end and sometimes a handle at the other end; there are hand tool versions (the original type) and versions as bits for power tools.
  2. A part of any of various tools or devices that has an analogous purpose, cutting raw material or a workpiece during the process that the tool or device performs.
  3. A part of some ploughs, next to the ploughshare, that helps cut into the soil and deal with obstructions such as rocks, roots, and stems.
verb
  1. To use a chisel.
  2. To work something with a chisel.
  3. To barge in on (something); to intrude on (something).
  4. To make small changes to (something), bit by bit, resulting in change over time.
  5. To beg or pressure somebody into giving up (something); to haggle excessively; to cheat; to obtain something from (someone) by cheating.
noun
  1. Gravel.
  2. Coarse flour; bran; the coarser part of bran or flour.

Pronunciation

/ˈt͡ʃɪzəl/ en-us-chisel.ogg

Word forms

chisel chisels chiseling chiselling chiseled chiselled chesil chissel chessil

Etymology

From Middle English chisel, chesel, from Old Northern French chisel, cisel, from cisoir (with a change in suffix), from Late Latin cīsōrium (“cutting tool”), from Latin caedō (“cut”). Doublet of scissors.

Synonyms

chip chip away

Related words

burin gouge graver ploughshare plowshare moldboard mouldboard coulter colter chessom

Derived words

bog chisel butt chisel chisellike chiselmouth cold chisel cope chisel enchisel framing chisel hot chisel set chisel skew chisel chiseler chiseller chisel in chisel out chisel up rechisel
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