whittle
UK: ˈwɪt(ə)l | US: ˈwɪt(ə)l
vt. to carve or shape (wood) by cutting small slices or pieces with a knife
vi. to reduce or eliminate something gradually
n. (dialectal) a knife, especially a small one for carving
The word "whittle" traces back to Old English thwitan ("to cut"), which evolved into Middle English thwitel (a knife). Over time, the initial "thw-" sound simplified to "wh-," and the suffix "-le" was added to form the verb, emphasizing the repetitive action of carving. The modern sense of "gradual reduction" (e.g., "whittle down") emerged metaphorically from the slow, deliberate process of shaping wood.
He sat by the fire to whittle a piece of pine into a toy horse.
The team worked to whittle the list of candidates down to three.
She whittled away at the project until it met her standards.
Grandfather taught me how to whittle a whistle from willow.
The budget was whittled significantly after the financial review.