A chisel is a tool with a sharp edge. It helps people cut or shape hard things like wood or stone. They hold it and hit it with a hammer or push it carefully.
He uses a chisel to carve the wood.
The artist shapes the stone with a chisel.
In medicine, a chisel is a small sharp tool. Dentists and surgeons use it to cut or shape bones or teeth carefully during surgery.
The dentist used a chisel in the operation.
Surgeons need a chisel for bone work.
This meaning is informal. Calling someone a 'chisel' means they are clever but may trick or cheat others. People use it to warn about unsafe trust.
He is a chisel in business deals.
Don’t trust that chisel with money.
A chisel can be a wedge made of metal. It fits into cracks to split wood or stone by pushing or hammering it in between parts.
They used a chisel to split the log.
The chisel broke the large rock in two.
To chisel can mean working with care to make something better or more exact, not only physical cutting. It is often used about refining ideas, words, or skills.
She chiseled her speech with careful words.
The actor chiseled his role to perfection.
