whittle
to cut, trim, or shape (a stick, piece of wood, etc.) by carving off bits with a knife.
to form by whittling: to whittle a figure.
to cut off (a bit).
to reduce the amount of, as if by whittling; pare down; take away by degrees (usually followed by down, away, etc.): to whittle down the company's overhead; to whittle away one's inheritance.
to whittle wood or the like with a knife, as in shaping something or as a mere aimless diversion: to spend an afternoon whittling.
to tire oneself or another by worrying or fussing.
British Dialect. a knife, especially a large one, as a carving knife or a butcher knife.
Origin of whittle
1Other words from whittle
- whittler, noun
Words Nearby whittle
Other definitions for Whittle (2 of 2)
Sir Frank, 1907–96, English engineer and inventor.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use whittle in a sentence
Neither Cipriani nor whittle responded to requests for comment.
The Battle to Be King of Ibiza Nightlife | Melanie Mendelewitsch | October 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn spite of his new entrepreneurial vision, whittle maintains his good feelings towards the Pacha owners.
The Battle to Be King of Ibiza Nightlife | Melanie Mendelewitsch | October 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn fact, Bomba almost turned into a nightmare for the Cipriani-whittle duo.
The Battle to Be King of Ibiza Nightlife | Melanie Mendelewitsch | October 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHow did you whittle all that material into the final shape of the film?
Grant Heslov Is the Robin to George Clooney’s Batman | Andrew Romano | February 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd as Bill whittle put it, “Republicans should commit to their own story.”
Why the Republican Party’s Narrative on Income and Voting Failed | Alex Klein | December 10, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Wal, Capm, fust thing is to fish up a bit 'f driftwood 'n' whittle out 'nother paddle.
Overland | John William De ForestHe'd sit with his cigar tilted up in one corner of his mouth, and his hat tilted forward, and whittle sticks.
The Belted Seas | Arthur ColtonAnyone can whittle these little sticks out, using any kind of hard wood.
The other picked up a pine splinter from the wharf, and producing a knife, began to whittle it.
The Viking Blood | Frederick William WallaceLawyer whittle was fined two pecks of apples and cigars for wearing a stovepipe hat and so the fun went on, day after day.
Old Rail Fence Corners | Various
British Dictionary definitions for whittle (1 of 2)
/ (ˈwɪtəl) /
to cut or shave strips or pieces from (wood, a stick, etc), esp with a knife
(tr) to make or shape by paring or shaving
(tr; often foll by away, down, off, etc) to reduce, destroy, or wear away gradually
Northern English dialect (intr) to complain or worry about something continually
British dialect a knife, esp a large one
Origin of whittle
1Derived forms of whittle
- whittler, noun
British Dictionary definitions for Whittle (2 of 2)
/ (ˈwɪtəl) /
Sir Frank. 1907–96, English engineer, who invented the jet engine for aircraft; flew first British jet aircraft (1941)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for Whittle
[ wĭt′l ]
British aeronautical engineer and inventor who developed the first aircraft engine powered by jet propulsion in 1937.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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