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whittle (**위**틀)to cut or carve wood into a particular shape by repeatedly cutting small slices from it

Part of speech: VERB

Definition: to cut or carve wood into a particular shape by repeatedly cutting small slices from it

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈwɪtəl/

Korean meaning: 칼로 나무를 조금씩 깎아서 모양을 만들다

Korean pronunciation: **위**틀

Example Sentences

  • My grandfather could whittle amazing bird sculptures from simple tree branches.
  • The manager tried to whittle down the meeting time from 3 hours to 30 minutes, but everyone kept talking anyway.
  • She whittled her daily expenses by making coffee at home instead of buying it.

whittle

VERB

//ˈwɪtəl//

to cut or carve wood into a particular shape by repeatedly cutting small slices from it

whittle concept
💡 Concept

An elderly craftsman whittles a wooden bird from a block of wood

whittle rhyme
🎵 Rhyme

Whittle the brittle into something little!

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈwɪtəl/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈwɪtəl/

🌳Etymology

Rootwhittle

Origin

From Middle English 'thwittle', derived from Old English 'thwitan' meaning 'to cut or pare'. Originally referred to a knife used for cutting wood, then evolved into the verb meaning to carve or cut away small pieces.

🎵Rhyme

littlebrittlespittle
little
brittle
spittle

🔗Collocations

whittle away
whittle down
whittle wood
whittle a stick
whittle costs

📝Examples

My grandfather could whittle amazing bird sculptures from simple tree branches.

😄 Fun example

The manager tried to whittle down the meeting time from 3 hours to 30 minutes, but everyone kept talking anyway.

She whittled her daily expenses by making coffee at home instead of buying it.

😄 Fun example

After hours of whittling, he proudly showed off his wooden spoon that looked suspiciously like a bent fork.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

carvesculptreducediminishtrim

Antonyms

expandincreaseenlarge

Related

chiselcraftwoodworksculptureknife

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