chisel

 
Pronunciation: /ˈtʃɪz(ə)l/

noun

  • a long-bladed hand tool with a bevelled cutting edge and a handle which is struck with a hammer or mallet, used to cut or shape wood, stone, or metal: cut away the tiles with a broad-bladed steel chisel

verb (chisels, chiselling, chiselled; US chisels, chiseling, chiseled)

[with object]
  • 1cut or shape (something) with a chisel: chisel a hole through the brickwork
  • 2 informal, chiefly North American cheat or swindle (someone) out of something: he’s chiselled me out of my dues

Derivatives

chiseller

noun

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old Northern French, based on Latin cis- (as in late Latin cisorium), variant of caes-, stem of caedere 'to cut'. Compare with scissors