I. ˈchizəl noun
( -s )
Etymology: obsolete chisel, chesil gravel, from Middle English, from Old English cisel, ceosel; akin to Old High German kisil pebble, Old Prussian sixdo sand, Lithuanian žiezdrà gravel, grain
dialect England : bran : coarse flour
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old North French, probably alteration of chisoir goldsmith's chisel, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin caesorium cutting instrument, from Latin caesus (past participle of caedere to cut) + -orium -ory — more at concise
1. : a tool consisting of a metal bar with a sharpened edge at one end used for working on the surface of various materials by chipping, carving, turning, or other cutting action and often driven by a mallet
2. : a strong heavy tractor-drawn tillage tool with curved points used for deep stirring without turning the soil
III. verb
( chiseled or chiselled ; chiseled or chiselled ; chiseling or chiselling -z(ə)liŋ ; chisels )
transitive verb
1. : to cut, pare, gouge, engrave, or shape with or as if with a chisel — often used with out
chisel a block of marble into a statue
2.
a. : to cut close (as in a bargain) : cheat
b. : to employ shrewd sometimes unfair practices on (as a person) to obtain one's end ; also : to obtain by such practices
3. : to stir (soil) with a chisel
intransitive verb
1. : to work with a chisel
the actual cutter merely chiseled within the outlines of a preliminary drawing — F.W.Goudy
2.
a. : to employ shrewd sometimes unfair practices to obtain an end
chisel for good marks in a college course
b. : to thrust oneself : intrude — used with in or in on
trying to chisel in on the beer racket — Polly Adler