I. ˈhwid. ə l, -it ə l also ˈwi- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English whitel, from Old English hwītel; akin to Old Norse hvītill white bed cover, Old English hwīt white
1. archaic : a covering (as a cloak, shawl, or blanket) of heavy fabric
2. chiefly dialect : a flannel (as a petticoat or band) for a baby
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English whittel, alteration of thwitel, from thwiten to cut down, whittle, from Old English thwītan; akin to Old Norse thveita to hew, hurl, and perhaps to Lithuanian tvyskinti to strike sharply
1. : knife ; especially : a large strong sheath or clasp knife
2. dialect Britain : whetstone , steel
III. verb
( whittled ; whittled ; whittling -d. ə liŋ, -t( ə )liŋ ; whittles )
transitive verb
1.
a. : to pare or cut off chips from the surface of (wood) with a knife : cut or shape (as a piece of wood) by so paring or cutting
whittle a stick
b. : to form by whittling
whittled a whip from limber ash
— often used with out
whittling out clothespins while he talked
2. : to reduce, diminish, remove, or destroy gradually as if by cutting off bits with a knife : pare
a new line designed to whittle the waist
— usually used with an adverb (as away, down, off, up )
whittle down expenses
whittle away a fortune
3. obsolete : to whet the spirits of by drink : ply with liquor : make inebriated
intransitive verb
1. : to cut or shape a piece of wood by slowly paring it with a knife
2. : to wear oneself or another out with worrying or fretting
IV. ˈ(h)wit ə l noun
( -s )
Etymology: by alteration
chiefly Scotland : whitlow