[whit.tle] n [ME whittel, alter. of thwitel, fr. thwiten to whittle, fr. OE thwitan; akin to ON thveita to hew] (15c) archaic: a large knife
[2]whittle vb whit.tled ; whit.tling vt (1552) 1 a: to pare or cut off chips from the surface of (wood) with a knife b: to shape or form by so paring or cutting
2: to reduce, remove, or destroy gradually as if by cutting off bits with a knife: pare "~ down expenses" ~ vi 1: to cut or shape something (as wood) by or as if by paring it with a knife
2: to wear oneself or another out with fretting -- whit.tler n