Associations to the word «Whittle»

Wiktionary

WHITTLE, noun. A knife; especially, a pocket knife, sheath knife, or clasp knife.
WHITTLE, verb. (transitive or intransitive) To cut or shape wood with a knife.
WHITTLE, verb. (transitive) To reduce or gradually eliminate something (such as a debt).
WHITTLE, verb. (transitive) (figurative) To make eager or excited; to excite with liquor; to inebriate.
WHITTLE, noun. (archaic) A coarse greyish double blanket worn by countrywomen, in the west of England, over the shoulders, like a cloak or shawl.
WHITTLE, noun. (archaic) A whittle shawl; a kind of fine woollen shawl, originally and especially a white one.

Dictionary definition

WHITTLE, noun. English aeronautical engineer who invented the jet aircraft engine (1907-1996).
WHITTLE, verb. Cut small bits or pare shavings from; "whittle a piece of wood".

Wise words

Words are always getting conventionalized to some secondary meaning. It is one of the works of poetry to take the truants in custody and bring them back to their right senses.
William Butler Yeats