whittle

v., -tled, -tling, -tles.

v.tr.

1. 1. To cut small bits or pare shavings from (a piece of wood).
   2. To fashion or shape in this way: whittle a toy boat.
2. To reduce or eliminate gradually, as if by whittling with a knife: whittled down the debt by making small payments.

v.intr.

To cut or shape wood with a knife.

[From Middle English whyttel, knife, variant of thwitel, from thwiten, to whittle, from Old English thwītan, to strike, whittle down.]

whittler whit'tler n.

v

Definition: cut away at; reduce
Antonyms: build, increase

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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The verb has one meaning:

Meaning #1: cut small bits or pare shavings from
  Synonym: pare

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Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - skære, snitte, skrælle bark af, beskære, nedskære
v. intr. - skære, snitte, sladre

Nederlands (Dutch)
snijden, snoeien

Français (French)
v. tr. - tailler au couteau
v. intr. - couper/sculpter du bois avec un couteau
n. - couteau

Deutsch (German)
n. - (langes Taschen)messer
v. - schnitzen, beschneiden

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (μεγάλο) μαχαίρι
v. - ξύνω, σκαλίζω, λαξεύω, πελεκώ, λιανίζω, φτιάχνω (λιανίζοντας)

Italiano (Italian)
coltellaccio, tagliare

Português (Portuguese)
n. - faca (f)
v. - cortar

Русский (Russian)
теплая пеленка, фланелевое платьице, накидка, большой нож, строгать ножом, обстругивать (дерево), изводить заботами себя или других, сводить на нет

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - tallar, mondar
v. intr. - cortar pedazos de una madera
n. - cuchillo grande

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - slaktarkniv
v. - tälja, skära av, vässa

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
逐渐削薄, 削弱, 削整, 削木头

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 逐漸削薄, 削弱, 削整
v. intr. - 削木頭

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - (나무를) 조금씩 깎다, 깎아서 어떤 모양을 갖추다, 삭감하다
v. intr. - 조금씩 깎다, 고뇌로 몸과 마음이 지치다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 少しずつ削る, 減らす, 削って作る, 削ぐ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مديه, سكين (فعل) يبري, ينجر, يقرطم, يخفض تدريجيا, ينحت, يضوي بالهم والقلق‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮חתך, קילף, גילף, קיצץ, צימצם, עיצב‬
v. intr. - ‮חתך, קילף, גילף, קיצץ, צימצם, עיצב, התעייף מרוב דאגות‬

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