whittle

verb
UK: /ˈwɪtl/
US: /ˈwɪtl/

  1. To carve or shape wood by cutting small pieces from it.

    1. He likes to whittle wood with his pocketknife.
    2. She would often whittle away at a piece of wood while sitting by the fire.

  2. To reduce something in size or amount gradually.

    1. We need to whittle down the list of candidates.
    2. The company aims to whittle its debts by the end of the year.

Synonyms

carve pare decrease sculpt trim shape reduce
whittle noun

  1. An act of carving or shaping wood by cutting small pieces from it; a piece of wood that has been carved.

    1. The whittle was a small wooden bird.
    2. He showed us his latest whittle, a tiny wooden horse.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "whittle" in English means: To carve or shape wood by cutting small pieces from it., To reduce something in size or amount gradually..

The phonetic transcription of "whittle" is /ˈwɪtl/ in British English and /ˈwɪtl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "whittle": carve, pare, decrease, sculpt, trim, shape, reduce.

Example usage of "whittle": "He likes to whittle wood with his pocketknife.". More examples on the page.