What does chiseling mean?
Chiseling is the present participle of the verb 'chisel,' which means to cut or shape a hard material—typically stone, marble, or wood—using a chisel, a metal tool with a sharp beveled edge struck with a mallet. It carries strong associations of craftsmanship, patience, and artistry, as sculptors and stonemasons work gradually, removing small fragments until the desired form emerges. By extension, 'chiseling away at' something describes persistent, incremental effort toward a goal. In an entirely different, informal register, especially in North America, 'chiseling' can mean cheating or swindling someone out of money, giving the word a negative connotation when applied to dishonest dealings. Derived ultimately from the Latin verb caedere, meaning 'to cut,' the word shares its ancestry with 'scissors' and 'incise.' Writers should note the regional spelling difference: American English uses one 'l' (chiseling), while British English doubles it (chiselling).
To cut or carve a hard material with a chisel; to shape something laboriously and incrementally; or, informally, to cheat or swindle someone.
"The apprentice spent months chiseling blocks of limestone for the cathedral facade."
In American English spelled with one 'l'; British English uses 'chiselling'.
The act or process of cutting with a chisel, or, informally, the practice of obtaining something by deceitful or underhanded means.
"Years of careful chiseling transformed the raw stone into an intricate relief."
Every time you say 'chisel,' you're echoing the same Latin root for cutting that gives us 'scissors' and 'incise.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chiseling
The word traces back through Middle English to the Old French 'cisel,' meaning a cutting tool, which derives from the Late Latin 'cisellum,' itself formed from the Latin verb 'caedere,' meaning 'to cut.' This same Latin root produced cognates such as 'scissors,' 'incise,' 'incisor,' and 'concise,' all carrying the underlying idea of cutting. The figurative sense of swindling arose later, in nineteenth-century American slang, drawing on the image of shaving off or paring away small amounts bit by bit.
Related word forms
How chiseling is actually used
The literal sense of carving is standard in all registers. The sense of cheating or swindling is informal and chiefly North American, often used in the phrase 'chisel someone out of' money. Note that British English doubles the final consonant ('chiselling'), so spellings differ by region.
Easily confused with chiseling
'Chiselling' is simply the British English spelling of the same word, with a double L, while 'chiseling' is the American spelling.