chisel

1 of 2

noun

chis·​el ˈchi-zᵊl 

: 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

2 of 2

verb

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

ˈchiz-liŋ

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

chiseler noun

or chiseller

ˈchi-zə-lər 

ˈchiz-lər

Synonyms

Verb

• pluck
• squeeze
• cheat
• screw
• stick
• sting
• hustle
• beat

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

Hammers and chisels notch a bridge to allow piano strings to vibrate freely. —Joel Williams, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025

Authorities contend that the activists ransacked the interior of the building — including damaging door frames and furniture and splattering fake blood — and were found carrying tools including an electric grinder, hammers, crowbars and chisels. —Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 2 Oct. 2025

Verb

Working on these inward-looking songs has allowed Teasdale and Chambers to feel less hemmed in by their origin story, one that was drawn early on by the press and then chiseled in stone. —Sophie Williams, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025

Vincent Kompany and his staff have chiselled a perfect role for him, with Diaz contributing not only on an individual basis, but in a way that really accentuates Bayern’s other attacking virtues. —Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1509, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing chisel

• cold chisel
• firmer chisel

Rhymes for chisel

• drizzle
• fizzle
• grizzle
• sisal
• sizzle

Kids Definition

chisel

1 of 2 noun

chis·​el ˈchiz-əl 

: a metal tool with a cutting edge at the end of a blade used to shape or chip away a solid material (as stone, wood, or metal)

chisel

2 of 2 verb

chiseled or chiselled; chiseling or chiselling

ˈchiz-(ə-)liŋ

1

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

2

: to use unfair or dishonest methods

chiseler

ˈchiz-(ə-)lər

noun

Medical Definition

chisel

noun

chis·​el ˈchiz-əl 

: a metal tool with a cutting edge at the end of a blade

especially : one used in dentistry (as for cutting or shaping enamel)