chisel
English edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
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 caedere (“cut”).
Noun edit
chisel (plural 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.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
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See also edit
Verb edit
chisel (third-person singular simple present chisels, present participle chiseling or chiselling, simple past and past participle chiseled or chiselled)
- (intransitive) To use a chisel.
- (transitive) To work something with a chisel.
- She chiselled a sculpture out of the block of wood.
- (transitive, intransitive, informal) To cheat, to get something from (someone) by cheating.
Usage notes edit
chiselling and chiselled are more common in the UK while chiseling and chiseled are more common in the US.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
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Etymology 2 edit
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.
Alternative forms edit
Noun edit
chisel (usually uncountable, plural chisels)
Related terms edit
Further reading edit
- “chisel”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “chisel”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “chisel”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Anagrams edit
Middle English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Anglo-Norman chisel.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
chisel (plural chisels)
- Any of several cutting tools used by stone masons.
Descendants edit
References edit
- “chisē̆l, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
Old French edit
Noun edit
chisel oblique singular, m (oblique plural chiseaus or chiseax or chisiaus or chisiax or chisels, nominative singular chiseaus or chiseax or chisiaus or chisiax or chisels, nominative plural chisel)
- (Old Northern French) Alternative form of cisel