| 释义 |
whit·tle
I. \ˈhwid.əl, -itəl also ˈwi-\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English whitel, from Old English hwītel; akin to Old Norse hvītill white bed cover, Old English hwīt white
1. archaic : a covering (as a cloak, shawl, or blanket) of heavy fabric
2. chiefly dialect : a flannel (as a petticoat or band) for a baby
II. noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English whittel, alteration of thwitel, from thwiten to cut down, whittle, from Old English thwītan; akin to Old Norse thveita to hew, hurl, and perhaps to Lithuanian tvyskinti to strike sharply
1. : knife; especially : a large strong sheath or clasp knife
2. dialect Britain : whetstone, steel
III. verb
(whittled ; whittled ; whittling \-d.əliŋ, -t(ə)liŋ\ ; whittles)
transitive verb
1.
a. : to pare or cut off chips from the surface of (wood) with a knife : cut or shape (as a piece of wood) by so paring or cutting
< whittle a stick >
b. : to form by whittling
< whittled a whip from limber ash >
— often used with out
< whittling out clothespins while he talked >
2. : to reduce, diminish, remove, or destroy gradually as if by cutting off bits with a knife : pare
< a new line designed to whittle the waist >
— usually used with an adverb (as away, down, off, up)
< whittle down expenses >
< whittle away a fortune >
3. obsolete : to whet the spirits of by drink : ply with liquor : make inebriated
intransitive verb
1. : to cut or shape a piece of wood by slowly paring it with a knife
2. : to wear oneself or another out with worrying or fretting
IV. \ˈ(h)witəl\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: by alteration
chiefly Scotland : whitlow |