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whittle
1[hwit-l, wit-l]
verb (used with object)
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.
verb (used without object)
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.
noun
British Dialect.a knife, especially a large one, as a carving knife or a butcher knife.
Whittle
2[hwit-l, wit-l]
noun
Sir Frank, 1907–96, English engineer and inventor.
whittle
1/ ˈɪə /
verb
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
dialect(intr) to complain or worry about something continually
noun
dialecta knife, esp a large one
Whittle
2/ ˈɪə /
noun
Sir Frank. 1907–96, English engineer, who invented the jet engine for aircraft; flew first British jet aircraft (1941)
Whittle
British aeronautical engineer and inventor who developed the first aircraft engine powered by jet propulsion in 1937.
Other 51Թ Forms
- whittler noun
- ˈɳٳٱ noun
51Թ History and Origins
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of Whittle1
Example Sentences
In recent public statements, Parks disclosed that her budget requests this year received opposition and appeared to have been whittled down.
“American Primeval” “As always, this is one of the tougher categories to whittle down, but my favorite of the year remains ‘The Penguin.’
It is the first of two semi-finals, each featuring 15 performers who will be whittled down to 10.
On Monday, Mrs Justice Lambert gave a brief outline of the trial to the initial batch of 25 jurors before they were whittled down by random ballot to the final 12.
Then, as Joe tries and fails to whittle away at Brontë’s sense of self in a bid to regain her affections, he realizes that he has lost control.
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