Chisel
WordNet
noun
(1) An edge tool with a flat steel blade with a cutting edge
verb
(2) Carve with a chisel
"Chisel the marble"
(3) Deprive somebody of something by deceit
"The con-man beat me out of $50"
"This salesman ripped us off!"
"We were cheated by their clever-sounding scheme"
"They chiseled me out of my money"
(4) Engage in deceitful behavior; practice trickery or fraud
"Who's chiseling on the side?"
WiktionaryText
Etymology
From cisel from *cisellum, from caesellum.
Noun
- A tool consisting of a slim oblong block of metal which is flattened to a sharp edge at one end and attached to a handle at the other end. It is used mainly to remove parts of stone or wood by placing the sharp edge against the material and pounding the handle with a hammer.
Verb
- To use a chisel.
- To work something with a chisel.
- She chiselled a sculpture out of the block of wood.
- To cheat, to get something by cheating.
Usage notes
and are more common in the UK while and are more common in the US.