chisel

¹chis·el

noun \ˈchi-z^əl\

Definition of CHISEL

: a metal tool with a sharpened edge at one end used to chip, carve, or cut into a solid material (as wood, stone, or metal)

Origin of CHISEL

Middle English, from Anglo-French *chisel, cisel, from Vulgar Latin *cisellum, alteration of caesellum, from Latin caesus, past participle of caedere to cut

First Known Use: 14th century

Other Hardware Terms

adze, auger, awl, chock, ferrule, punch, tang

²chisel

verb

chiseled or chiselledchisel·ing or chisel·ling \ˈchi-zə-liŋ, ˈchiz-liŋ\

Definition of CHISEL

transitive verb

1

: to cut or work with or as if with a chisel

2

: to employ shrewd or unfair practices on in order to obtain one's end; also : to obtain by such practices <chisel a job>

intransitive verb

1

: to work with or as if with a chisel

2

a : to employ shrewd or unfair practices

b : to thrust oneself : intrude <chisel in on a racket>

— chis·el·er or chis·el·ler \ˈchi-zə-lər, ˈchiz-lər\ noun

Examples of CHISEL

1. He chiseled off a corner of the block.
2. Letters were chiseled into a wall.

First Known Use of CHISEL

1509

Related to CHISEL

Synonyms

beat, bilk, bleed, cheat, fleece, chouse, con, cozen, defraud, diddle, do, do in, euchre, fiddle, flimflam, gaff, gyp, hose [slang], hustle, mulct, nobble [British slang], pluck, ream, rip off, rook, screw, shake down, short, shortchange, skin, skunk, squeeze, stick, stiff, sting, sucker, swindle, thimblerig, victimize

Related Words

extort, wrench, wrest, wring; clip, gouge, nick, overcharge, soak; exploit, milk; deceive, dupe, fool, gull, trick; rope (in); betray, bitch, double-cross; bamboozle, fast-talk

Rhymes with CHISEL

drizzle, fizzle, frizzle, grizzle, mizzle, pizzle, sizzle, swizzle

chis·el

noun \ˈchiz-əl\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of CHISEL

: a metal tool with a cutting edge at the end of a blade; especially : one used in dentistry (as for cutting or shaping enamel)

chisel

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Cutting tool with a sharpened edge at the end of a metal blade, used (often by driving with a mallet or hammer) in dressing, shaping, or working a solid material such as wood, stone, or metal. Flint ancestors of the chisel existed by 8000 BC; the ancient Egyptians used copper and later bronze chisels to work both wood and soft stone. Chisels today are made of steel, in various sizes and degrees of hardness, depending on use.