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| Date: | 1500-1600 |
| Origin: | whittle 'large knife' (15-19 centuries), from thwittle (14-19 centuries), from thwite 'to whittle' (11-19 centuries), from Old English thwitan |
Related topics:
1 also whittle down [transitive] to gradually make something smaller by taking parts away : 
We need to whittle down the list of guests for the party.
We need to whittle down the list of guests for the party.2TIC [intransitive and transitive] to cut a piece of wood into a particular shape by cutting off small pieces with a knife [↪ carve]
