chisel — English Dictionary

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 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. 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.

   Examples

   Holonyms: plough, plow < implement

Verb

1. To use a chisel.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Synonyms

   chip

2. To work something with a chisel.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Synonyms

   chip

   Examples

   She chiselled a sculpture out of the block of wood.

3. To barge in on (something); to intrude on (something).

   Usage

   • Dated
   • Transitive

4. To make small changes to (something), bit by bit, resulting in change over time.

   Usage

   • Figurative
   • Transitive

   Synonyms

   chip away

   Examples

   Laws that protect the environment are being chiseled away.

5. To beg or pressure somebody into giving up (something); to haggle excessively; to cheat; to obtain something from (someone) by cheating.

   Usage

   • Transitive or intransitive
   • Informal

   Examples

   He's managed to chisel a couple dollars from somewhere.

   She can always chisel whatever she needs from her father.

   More examples (1)

   She's always either chiseling or groveling, it seems.

Noun

1. Gravel.

   Usage

   • Uncountable
   • usually

2. Coarse flour; bran; the coarser part of bran or flour.

   Usage

   • plural-normally
   • Uncountable
   • usually

Noun

1. an edge tool with a flat steel blade with a cutting edge

   Broader terms

   edge tool

Verb

1. engage in deceitful behavior; practice trickery or fraud

   Synonyms

   cheat

   Broader terms

   deceivelead ondeludecozen

   Examples

   Who's chiseling on the side?

2. deprive somebody of something by deceit

   Synonyms

   cheatrip off

   Broader terms

   victimizevictimise

   Examples

   The con-man beat me out of $50

   This salesman ripped us off!

   More examples (2)

   we were cheated by their clever-sounding scheme

   They chiseled me out of my money

3. carve with a chisel

   Broader terms

   carvechip at

   Examples

   chisel the marble