a wedgelike tool with a cutting edge at the end of the blade, often made of steel, used for cutting or shaping wood, stone, etc.
chisel plow.
(initial capital letter)Astronomy. the constellation Caelum.
verb (used with object),chis·eled,chis·el·ing or (especially British) chis·elled,chis·el·ling.
to cut, shape, or fashion by or as if by carving with a chisel.
to cheat or swindle (someone): He chiseled me out of fifty dollars.
to get (something) by cheating or trickery: He chiseled fifty dollars out of me.
verb (used without object),chis·eled,chis·el·ing or (especially British) chis·elled,chis·el·ling.
to work with a chisel.
to trick; cheat.
Origin of chisel
1325–75; Middle English <Anglo-French, variant of Old French cisel<Vulgar Latin *cīsellus, diminutive of *cīsus, for Latin caesus, past participle of caedere to cut, with -ī- generalized from prefixed derivatives; cf. excide
She also was handy, hammering nails into walls and using a heat gun to chisel glue off the floor.
The Wonderful Weirdness of Christine McConnell, Queen of Creepy Cookies|Tim Teeman|July 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You get two to three hours in a little studio to chisel away.
Gal With a Suitcase|Jolie Hunt|January 23, 2010|DAILY BEAST
This idea is translated into durable marble on his striking tombstone in Pre-Lachaise, done in high relief by the chisel of Merci.
The Stones of Paris in History and Letters, Volume II (of 2)|Benjamin Ellis Martin
He opened the lid, searched among some tools which lay in the receptacle beneath, and took out a chisel.
The Dead Secret|Wilkie Collins
Why, some of those little chaps in the sloyd room can chisel and plane like carpenters.
The Story of Porcelain|Sara Ware Bassett
Saw on the inside of the lines down one-half the thickness or saw and chisel down to one-half.
The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming.|Ellen Eddy Shaw
In cutting, slant the chisel or gouge outwards at an angle of 45, thus /.
A Manual of Wood Carving|Charles G. Leland
British Dictionary definitions for chisel
chisel
/ (ˈtʃɪzəl) /
noun
a hand tool for working wood, consisting of a flat steel blade with a cutting edge attached to a handle of wood, plastic, etc. It is either struck with a mallet or used by hand
a similar tool without a handle for working stone or metal
verb-els, -ellingor-elledorUS-els, -elingor-eled
to carve (wood, stone, metal, etc) or form (an engraving, statue, etc) with or as with a chisel
slangto cheat or obtain by cheating
Word Origin for chisel
C14: via Old French, from Vulgar Latin cīsellus (unattested), from Latin caesus cut, from caedere to cut