whittle
//ˈwɪt.əl//
Verb
whittleInfinitive
whittlePresent tense
whittledPast tense
whittledPast participle
whittlingPresent participle
whittlesThird-person singular
1
To carve or shape wood by repeatedly cutting small slices from it with a knife.
He sat on the porch and whittled a small bird from a piece of wood.
2
To gradually reduce the size, amount, or extent of something.
The company whittled down the list of candidates to just three.