Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [hwit-l, wit-l]
- /ˈʰwɪt l, ˈwɪt l/
- /ˈwɪt.l̩/
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [hwit-l, wit-l]
- /ˈʰwɪt l, ˈwɪt l/
Definitions of whittle word
- verb with object whittle to cut, trim, or shape (a stick, piece of wood, etc.) by carving off bits with a knife. 1
- verb with object whittle to form by whittling: to whittle a figure. 1
- verb with object whittle to cut off (a bit). 1
- verb with object whittle 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. 1
- verb without object whittle to whittle wood or the like with a knife, as in shaping something or as a mere aimless diversion: to spend an afternoon whittling. 1
- verb without object whittle to tire oneself or another by worrying or fussing. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of whittle
First appearance:
before 1375 One of the 22% oldest English words
1375-1425; late Middle English (noun), dialectal variant of thwitel knife, Old English thwīt(an) to cut + -el -le
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Whittle
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
whittle popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 71% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
whittle usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for whittle
verb whittle
- carve — If you carve an object, you make it by cutting it out of a substance such as wood or stone. If you carve something such as wood or stone into an object, you make the object by cutting it out.
- shape — Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers, Europe.
- fashion — a prevailing custom or style of dress, etiquette, socializing, etc.: the latest fashion in dresses.
- shave — to remove a growth of beard with a razor.
- sculpt — shape, carve
noun whittle
- pat — to strike lightly or gently with something flat, as with a paddle or the palm of the hand, usually in order to flatten, smooth, or shape: to pat dough into flat pastry forms.
Antonyms for whittle
verb whittle
- develop — When something develops, it grows or changes over a period of time and usually becomes more advanced, complete, or severe.
- enlarge — Make or become bigger or more extensive.
- extend — Cause to cover a larger area; make longer or wider.
- increase — to make greater, as in number, size, strength, or quality; augment; add to: to increase taxes.
- destroy — To destroy something means to cause so much damage to it that it is completely ruined or does not exist any more.
Top questions with whittle
- how to whittle?
- who is bill whittle?
- how to whittle wood?
- what does whittle mean?
- how to whittle a pipe?
- who is frank whittle?
- how to whittle waist?
- how to whittle a whistle?
- how to whittle a ball in a cage?
- what is whittle?
- how to whittle a flute?
- how to whittle a fish?
- how to whittle your waist?
- how to whittle a spoon?
- how to whittle a bear?
See also
Matching words
- Words starting with w
- Words starting with wh
- Words starting with whi
- Words starting with whit
- Words starting with whitt
- Words starting with whittl
- Words starting with whittle