chisel
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chisel¹
- /ˈt͡ʃɪzəl/
Rhymes with -ɪzəl
Where it comes from
From Middle English chisel, chesel, from Old Northern French chisel, cisel, from cisoir (with a change in suffix), from Late Latin cīsōrium (“cutting tool”), from Latin caedō (“cut”). Doublet of scissors.
noun chisels
- 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.
- 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. Holonyms: plough, plow < implement
verb chisels · chiseling · chiselling · chiseled · chiselled
-
To use a chisel.
Similar: chip
-
To work something with a chisel.
She chiselled a sculpture out of the block of wood.
Similar: chip
- To barge in on (something); to intrude on (something).
-
To make small changes to (something), bit by bit, resulting in change over time.
Laws that protect the environment are being chiseled away.
Similar: chip away
- To beg or pressure somebody into giving up (something); to haggle excessively; to cheat; to obtain something from (someone) by cheating. He's managed to chisel a couple dollars from somewhere.
chisel²
- /ˈt͡ʃɪzəl/
Rhymes with -ɪzəl
Where it comes from
From Middle English chisel, chesil, from Old English ċeosol, ċeosel, ċysel, ċisel, ċisil (“gravel, sand”), from Proto-West Germanic *kesul (“small stone, pebble”). See also chessom.
noun chisels · chesil · chissel · chessil
- Gravel.
- Coarse flour; bran; the coarser part of bran or flour.
Translations
Every language
noun tool consisting of a slim oblong block of metal
| Español | formón, cincel, escoplo, piqueta, zapapico |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 끌 kkeul |
| 日本語 | 鑿 nomi |
| 中文 | 鑿子 /凿子 záozi |
| हिन्दी | छेनी chenī |
| Kiswahili | patasi, bobari |
| Português | cinzel, escopro |
| Français | ciseau, burin |
| Deutsch | Meißel, Stemmeisen, Beitel, Stechbeitel |
| Italiano | scalpello, cesello |
| Ελληνικά | σκαρπέλο skarpélo |
| Română | daltă |
| Русский | долото́ dolotó, зуби́ло zubílo, стаме́ска staméska |
| Tiếng Việt | cái đục |
| العربية | إِزْمِيل ʔizmīl |
| עברית | אִזְמֵל izmel |
Talk about this word "chisel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/chisel. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. chisel. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/chisel "chisel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/chisel.Cite this
@misc{chisel_2026,
title = {chisel},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/chisel},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
