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Definitions for Whittle

[1] to cut, trim, or shape (a stick, piece of wood, etc.) by carving off bits with a knife.
[2] to form by whittling: to whittle a figure.
[3] to cut off (a bit).
[4] 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.
[5] to whittle wood or the like with a knife, as in shaping something or as a mere aimless diversion: to spend an afternoon whittling.
[6] to tire oneself or another by worrying or fussing.
[7] British Dialect . a knife, especially a large one, as a carving knife or a butcher knife.
[8] Sir Frank, 1907–96, English engineer and inventor.
[9] to cut or shave strips or pieces from (wood, a stick, etc), esp with a knife
[10] (tr) to make or shape by paring or shaving
[11] (tr; often foll by away, down, off, etc ) to reduce, destroy, or wear away gradually
[12] Northern English dialect (intr) to complain or worry about something continually
[13] British dialect a knife, esp a large one
[14] Sir Frank. 1907–96, English engineer, who invented the jet engine for aircraft; flew first British jet aircraft (1941)

Words related to Whittle

trim, shave, pare, erode, lessen, diminish, hew, consume, form, chip, shape, fashion, decrease, carve, model, mold, undermine, sculpt

Words nearby Whittle

whitsuntide, whittaker, whitter, whittier, whittington, whittle, whittling, whittlings, whittret, whittuesday, whitworth

Origin of Whittle

1375–1425; late Middle English (noun), dialectal variant of thwitel knife, Old English thwīt(an ) to cut + -el -le

Other words from Whittle

whit·tler , noun

Word origin for Whittle

C16: variant of C15 thwittle large knife, from Old English thwitel, from thwītan to cut; related to Old Norse thveitr cut, thveita to beat

Synonyms for Whittle

diminish, erode, lessen, pare, shave, trim, carve, chip, consume, decrease, fashion, form, hew, model, mold, sculpt, shape, undermine, eat away, wear away