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whittle
transitive verb whittled, whittling
- to cut or pare thin shavings from (wood) with a knife
- to make or fashion (an object) in this manner
- to reduce, destroy, or get rid of gradually, as if by whittling away with a knife: usually with down, away, etc.: to whittle down the cost of a project
intransitive verb
to whittle wood; often, specif., to cut away aimlessly at a stick, etc.
noun
Obsolete a large knife
Related Forms:
- whittler noun
Whittle,
Sir Frank 1907-96; Eng. engineer & pioneer developer of jet propulsion engines
See whittle in American Heritage Dictionary 4
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