English dictionary

chisel Meaning & Definition

Q: What is the plural of chisel?

The plural of chisel is chisels.

Q: What is the past tense of chisel?

The past tense of chisel is and past participle.

ˈchi-zᵊl

What Does Chisel Mean?

Chisel is used as a noun meaning a metal tool with a sharpened edge at one end used to chip, carve, or cut into a solid material (such as wood, stone, or metal). As a verb, it means to cut or work with or as if with a chisel.

Quick Facts About Chisel

Part of speech	noun, verb
Pronunciation	/ˈchi-zᵊl/
Syllables	2
Synonyms	beat, bilk and bleed
Plural	chisels
Verb forms	chisels, and past participle

Chisel Definition (Noun)

a metal tool with a sharpened edge at one end used to chip, carve, or cut into a solid material (such as wood, stone, or metal)

Chisel as a Verb

to cut or work with or as if with a chisel
to employ shrewd or unfair practices on in order to obtain one's end
to obtain by such practices
chisel a job
to work with or as if with a chisel
to employ shrewd or unfair practices
to thrust oneself : intrude
chisel in on a racket

Antonyms of Chisel

No antonyms or near antonyms are listed by the available sources for this entry.

Chisel in a Sentence

She chiselled a sculpture out of the block of wood.

Laws that protect the environment are being chiseled away.

He's managed to chisel a couple dollars from somewhere.

She can always chisel whatever she needs from her father.

She's always either chiseling or groveling, it seems.

chisel a job

chisel in on a racket

ruthlessly chiseled other students out of their lunch money

Word Forms & Grammar

chisel

chisels

chis·eled

chis·elled

chis·el·ing

chis·el·ling

chis·el·er noun

chiseled

chiseler

chiselers

chiseling

chiselled

chiseller

chisellers

chiselling

chisel (plural chisels)

chisel (third-person singular simple present chisels, present participle (US) chiseling or (UK) chiselling, simple past and past participle (US) chiseled or (UK) chiselled)

chisel (usually uncountable, plural chisels)

Words That Rhyme With Chisel

drizzle sizzle grizzle fizzle bizzell frizell frizzell grizzell his ill is ill mizell mizzell tis ill

Origin of Chisel

Origin 1: Middle English, from Anglo-French *chisel, cisel, from Vulgar Latin *cisellum, alteration of caesellum, from Latin caesus, past participle of caedere to cut

Origin 2: From Middle English chisel, chesel, from Old Northern French chisel, cisel, from cisoir (with a change in suffix), from Late Latin cīsōrium (“cutting tool”), from Latin caedō (“cut”). Doublet of scissors.

Origin 3: From Middle English chisel, chesil, from Old English ċeosol, ċeosel, ċysel, ċisel, ċisil (“gravel, sand”), from Proto-West Germanic *kesul (“small stone, pebble”). See also chessom.

First Known Use

14th century

1509t

How Do You Say Chisel?

You say chisel as /ˈchi-zᵊl/. It has 2 syllables, with the main stress on the first syllable (chi).

Questions People Ask About Chisel

Is chisel a noun or a verb?

Chisel is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.

What is another word for chisel?

You can replace chisel with words such as beat, bilk and bleed. See the full list of chisel synonyms and antonyms.