whittle

• Verbo que describe el proceso de tallar o dar forma a la madera cortando pequeñas astillas finas, o, en sentido figurado, reducir algo gradualmente poco a poco.

A verb used to describe the act of carving or shaping wood by cutting small, thin pieces off, or metaphorically, to gradually reduce something.

1. Carve woodB2formal

   To cut small bits or pare shavings from a piece of wood, typically with a knife, to shape it.

   tallar madera

   • He whittled a small bird from a block of pine.
   • She spent the afternoon whittling a wooden whistle.
   • The old man whittled a walking stick from a branch.

   Sinónimoscarvecutfashionhewpareshapeshavetrim

2. Reduce graduallyB2formal

   To gradually reduce or diminish something, such as costs, time, or resources.

   reducir gradualmente

   • The company whittled down its expenses over several months.
   • We need to whittle the list of candidates to just three.
   • He whittled away at the problem until he found a solution.

   Sinónimoscutdecreasediminisherodelessenparereducescale downshavetrim

   Antónimosamplifyaugmentboostenlargeexpandgrowincrease

Variantes phrasalwhittle awaywhittle down