chisel - Dictionary Definition : Vocabulary.com

When you carve a statue from a block of marble, you use a tool called a chisel to cut out the shape. Chisel is the name of the tool and also the name of the action.

A chisel has a flat, sharp end. To carve using a chisel, you hit the back of it with a hammer or another blunt instrument. Chisel can also mean "to cheat." If someone chisels you out of your allowance, they shaved it away from you bit by bit.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: chisel

1	n v	an edge tool with a flat steel blade with a cutting edge carve with a chisel
2	v	engage in deceitful behavior; practice trickery or fraud

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: chisel

1

n an edge tool with a flat steel blade with a cutting edge

Types:: show 6 types...; hide 6 types...; burin
a chisel of tempered steel with a sharp point; used for engraving; cold chisel, set chisel
narrow chisel made of steel; used to cut stone or bricks; drove, drove chisel
a stonemason's chisel with a broad edge for dressing stone; firmer chisel
a chisel with a thin blade for woodworking; ripping chisel
a long chisel with a slightly bent cutting end; used for heavy prying or cleaning mortises; wood chisel
a chisel for working wood; it is either struck with a mallet or pushed by hand

Type of:: edge tool
any cutting tool with a sharp cutting edge (as a chisel or knife or plane or gouge)

v carve with a chisel

“chisel the marble”

Type of:: carve, chip at
engrave or cut by chipping away at a surface

2

v engage in deceitful behavior; practice trickery or fraud

“Who's chiseling on the side?”

Synonyms:: cheat

Types:: show 7 types...; hide 7 types...; job
profit privately from public office and official business; shark
play the shark; act with trickery; rig, set up
arrange the outcome of by means of deceit; cozen
act with artful deceit; crib
use a crib, as in an exam; cook, fake, falsify, fudge, manipulate, misrepresent, wangle
tamper, with the purpose of deception; juggle
manipulate by or as if by moving around components

Type of:: cozen, deceive, delude, lead on
be false to; be dishonest with

v deprive somebody of something by deceit

“They chiseled me out of my money”

Synonyms:: cheat, rip off

Types:: show 11 types...; hide 11 types...; gazump
raise the price of something after agreeing on a lower price; cozen
cheat or trick; fleece, gazump, hook, overcharge, pluck, plume, rob, soak, surcharge
rip off; ask an unreasonable price; bunco, con, defraud, diddle, gip, goldbrick, gyp, hornswoggle, mulct, nobble, rook, scam, short-change, swindle, victimize
deprive of by deceit; bilk
cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money; beat, bunk
avoid paying; whipsaw
victimize, especially in gambling or negotiations; welch, welsh
cheat by avoiding payment of a gambling debt; beguile, hoodwink, juggle
influence by slyness; extort, gouge, rack, squeeze, wring
obtain by coercion or intimidation; short, short-change
cheat someone by not returning him enough money

Type of:: victimise, victimize
make a victim of