Search results
- Dictionarywhittle/ˈwɪtl/
verb
- 1. carve (wood) into an object by repeatedly cutting small slices from it: "he was sitting at the tent door, whittling a piece of wood with a knife" Similar
- 2. reduce something in size, amount, or extent by a gradual series of steps: "the shortlist of fifteen was whittled down to five" Similar Opposite
Powered by Oxford Dictionaries
WHITTLE definition: 1. to make something from a piece of wood by cutting off small, thin pieces: 2. to make something…. Learn more.
6 meanings: 1. to cut or shave strips or pieces from (wood, a stick, etc), esp with a knife 2. to make or shape by paring or.... Click for more definitions.
1. a. : to pare or cut off chips from the surface of (wood) with a knife. b. : to shape or form by so paring or cutting. 2. : to reduce, remove, or destroy gradually as if by cutting off bits with a knife : pare. whittle down expenses. intransitive verb. 1. : to cut or shape something (such as wood) by or as if by paring it with a knife. 2.
Whittle definition: to cut, trim, or shape (a stick, piece of wood, etc.) by carving off bits with a knife.. See examples of WHITTLE used in a sentence.
to slice thin pieces from a piece of wood, or to form something from wood by slicing pieces off it: [ I ] He likes to whittle.
Definition of whittle verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
To whittle is to pare or carve away. Wood carvers whittle pieces of wood, removing bit by bit until what's left is a sailor with a yellow raincoat or a lone wolf howling at the moon. Whittle can also mean to reduce an amount or number of items.
