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whittle Definition

whit·tle (hwit′'l, wit′'l)

transitive verb -·tled, -·tling

    1. to cut or pare thin shavings from (wood) with a knife
    2. to make or fashion (an object) in this manner
  2. 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

Etymology: < obs. whittle, a knife < ME whyttel, var. of thwitel, dim. < OE thwitan, to cut < IE base *twei-, to strike, cut

intransitive verb

to whittle wood; often, specif., to cut away aimlessly at a stick, etc.

noun

Obsolete a large knife

whittle Related Forms

whit′·tler noun

Whittle Definition

Whit·tle (hwit′'l, wit′-)

Whittle, Sir Frank 1907-96; Eng. engineer & pioneer developer of jet propulsion engines

whittle Synonyms

whittle

v.

  1. To cut

    pare, carve, shape, fashion, shave, model, chip off.

  2. To reduce slowly

    lessen, diminish, shave, decrease, pare down.

whittle Usage Examples

Object

  • list: A national panel of judges whittles a list of more than 700 nominated stories down to those that are summarized here.
  • number: Personal interviews will then be held to whittle the number down to 250.
  • stick: In Britain the Boy Scouts took on folk ideas: camping, building fires, whittling sticks.
  • longlist: But after hours of deliberation, they whittled the longlist down to a shortlist, and the five eventual winners are unveiled today.
  • judge: After much singing, forgetting the words and deliberation the judges whittled it down to just seven acts each.

Modifying Another Word

  • gradually: The three tables that started were gradually whittled down to a final table, producing a few surprises along the way.
  • away: Where such control over land has been whittled away, they have lost their grip over the people.
  • slowly: With the numbers being slowly whittled, Matt will need your support to help him reach the final on Monday night.
  • down: The singers will then be whittled down to 16 for a live performance at Castle Hall in Hertford in June.
  • then: You can then whittle down your short list to identify the best service for you.
  • quickly: I quickly whittled down the choices by selecting the Lake District, which has the advantage of good surfaces and plenty of paths.

Noun used with modifier

comrade: Finally, it is important to correct any imbalance that comrade Whittle or others may perceive in what has been written.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • down: A few further clicks may be required to whittle down the links.
  • away: A more traditional game for Bond fans to whittle away the hours on.

Particle object:

  • number: That is, until Andy tactfully whittled down the number of contributors to Debbie ( violin ) and himself on bass.
  • list: Use the tests to whittle down the list of potential employees.
  • entry: Panels of judges for each category will then sift through and whittle down the entries.
  • entrant: The Bournemouth exhibitions team, who organize the annual competition, had the tough task of whittling down the entrants to just six finalists.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • down: We are hoping to have 20 songs to whittle down to the 11 we need for the next album.
  • away: We must make sure this victory is used to whittle away their previous votes.