chisel
chisel Lexical Profile
chisel Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A hand tool with a beveled or contoured cross-section and a distinct cutting edge, used for carving, cutting, or chipping away solid materials such as wood, stone, or metal.
"The master carpenter used a sharp chisel and a wooden mallet to carve the intricate dovetail joints."
• verb
To cut, carve, or shape a hard material using a chisel.
"The sculptor meticulously chiseled away the excess marble to reveal the figure hidden within the stone block."
To cheat or swindle someone out of money or property.
"The corrupt contractor tried to chisel the municipal government out of thousands of dollars by artificially inflating the cost of building materials."
• Rhymes for chisel
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'chisel', borrowed from Old Northern French 'chisel' (Old French 'cisel'), ultimately from Vulgar Latin 'caesellum', a diminutive derived from the Latin verb 'caedere' meaning 'to cut'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.