whittle

¹whit·tle

noun \ˈhwi-t^əl, ˈwi-\

Definition of WHITTLE

archaic

:  a large knife

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Origin of WHITTLE

Middle English whittel, alteration of thwitel, from thwiten to whittle, from Old English thwītan; akin to Old Norse thveita to hew

First Known Use: 15th century

Rhymes with WHITTLE

brittle, kittle, little, skittle, spital, spittle, tittle, victual, wittol

²whittle

verb

: to cut or shape (a piece of wood) by cutting small pieces from it : to make or shape (something) from a piece of wood by cutting small pieces from it

whit·tledwhit·tling \ˈhwit-liŋ, ˈwit-; ˈhwi-t^əl-iŋ, ˈwi-\

Full Definition of WHITTLE

transitive verb

1

a :  to pare or cut off chips from the surface of (wood) with a knife

b :  to shape or form by so paring or cutting

2

:  to reduce, remove, or destroy gradually as if by cutting off bits with a knife :  pare <whittle down expenses>

intransitive verb

1

:  to cut or shape something (as wood) by or as if by paring it with a knife

2

:  to wear oneself or another out with fretting

— whit·tler \ˈhwit-lər, ˈwit-; ˈhwi-t^əl-ər, ˈwi-\ noun

Examples of WHITTLE

1. He was sitting on the porch, whittling a stick.
2. She whittled a walking stick from a maple tree branch.

First Known Use of WHITTLE

1552

Rhymes with WHITTLE

brittle, kittle, little, victual