chisel

noun

chis·el | \ ˈchi-zᵊl

Definition of chisel

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

chisel

verb

chiseled or chiselled; chiseling or chiselling\ ˈchi-zə-liŋ

, ˈchiz-liŋ \

Definition of chisel (Entry 2 of 2)

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

2a : to employ shrewd or unfair practices

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

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Examples of chisel in a Sentence

Verb

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Every drip of Suerte tequila is built upon thousands of chisels strikes and hours of slow crushing. — James Lynch, Popular Mechanics, "The Two-Ton Stone That's Made Tequila for Centuries," 28 Nov. 2018 Worn-out calks are removed promptly with chisel and hammer. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "The Lost Art of Floating Logs Down the River," 16 Feb. 2019 Set against this are the pleasures of making things by hand and looking more closely at the natural world: Berg learns how to level a chisel, and to know the rates at which various species of wood dry. — John Williams, New York Times, "Can Handiwork Save Your Soul? A Quiet Novel Suggests It Can," 10 July 2018 Clean up the bottom of each dado with a 1/4-inch chisel. — Roy Berendson, Popular Mechanics, "6 Simple Projects You Can Make From Scrap Wood," 21 Mar. 2018 Regan loved tools, and kept his chisels and planes razor sharp. — Anne M. Hamilton, courant.com, "He Brought His Skill For Teaching, Knack For Colonial Buildings To Coventry," 15 July 2018 That means that instead of chisel work in the field, the paleontologists are wielding jackhammers and rock saws. — Steve Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "'Antarctic Dinosaurs' bring new ice age to Field Museum," 13 June 2018 That's a lot of work, and most bone tools from the same time period aren't nearly so carefully prepared; bone awls and chisels were usually worked just enough to sharpen the business end. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Early Middle-Eastern culture had a thing for gazelle scapula," 1 May 2018 Bites were served at a bar where bread was sliced with a workman’s saw and for dessert, oversize bricks of chocolate were hammered into with a chisel. — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, "Yoox, Toiletpaper, and Wallpaper* Host a Garage-Cowboy Disco to Close Out Salone del Mobile," 20 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Joshua was one of boxing biggest stars, a hulking, chiseled specimen who had fought in front of crowds of 90,000 in England. — Adam Kilgore, courant.com, "Heavyweight champ Andy Ruiz Jr., once bullied for his weight, says ‘people can relate to me’," 5 June 2019 No, Reid isn't blessed with Madden's chiselled jawline — but really, who is? — Samantha Sasso, refinery29.com, "How Richard Madden Went From Robb Stark To John Reid In Rocketman," 5 June 2019 Starched denim shirt against my palms, which have gradually found their way around his trim chiseled waist.... — Ree Drummond, Country Living, "Every Die-Hard Romantic Needs to Read Ree and Ladd Drummond's Love Story," 6 June 2017 These three all have one thing—or person—in common: Nolan Hotchkiss (Chris Mason), a conniving, chiseled sociopath whose family basically owns BHU. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "I Never Thought I’d Love the Pretty Little Liars Spin-off More Than the Original, but Here We Are," 20 Mar. 2019 Instead, grind or chisel out all the old mortar, clean the gap with a wire brush, and then add the new mortar. — Kevin Dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "So You Want To Fix Your Chimney," 21 Dec. 2018 Signs of the procedure, which usually involves chiseling an opening in a living someone’s head, have been found across North and South America, Polynesia, Ancient Greece, the Far East, Russia and Africa, with varying results. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Inca Skull Surgeons Had Better Success Rates Than American Civil War Doctors," 14 June 2018 By any standards, Robbie bears a striking, real-life likeness to the original 1950s doll—blue eyes, blonde hair, chiseled features, and a jaw-dropping figure that took center stage in her breakout role in The Wolf of Wall Street. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "Will Margot Robbie's Starring Role as Barbie Reinforce Old Stereotypes—or Defy Them?," 9 Jan. 2019 Just one session will leave your face looking slim and chiseled, but repeated sessions will guarantee your best skin ever on the big day. — Harper's Bazaar Staff, Harper's BAZAAR, "17 Over-the-Top Beauty Treatments to Try Before Your Wedding Day," 13 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chisel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.