noun
chisel
CHIH-zuhl
noun
1
A hand tool with a sharp flat edge, used to cut or shape wood, stone, or metal.
"The sculptor used a chisel to carve details into the marble."
verb
1
To carve or shape material using a chisel.
"He chiseled his initials into the wooden beam."
2
Informal: to cheat or trick someone out of something, or to gradually erode something.
"They tried to chisel a better price out of the seller."
How to Use Chisel
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA cutting tool for wood, stone, or metal, or (as a verb) to shape something with one, or informally, to cheat someone.
Common pairings
chisel away at
a wood chisel
Word Forms
chiseled past tense, chiselled past tense, chisels plural, chisels plural, chisels singular
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Etymology
From Old Northern French chisel, ultimately from Latin caedō, meaning "to cut" — making it a doublet of "scissors".