thwittlen.
/ˈθwɪt(ə)l/ Now dialect.
A knife, a whittle.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > equipment > cutting tool > knife > [noun]
saxa800
knifea1100
trencherc1330
coultera1382
shear1382
thwittlec1405
prag1481
cuttle1551
chiv1673
machine knife1867
mackerel plougha1884
c1325 Gloss. W. de Bibbesw. in Wright Voc. 168 Coteus, thiwilet (? for thwitel).]
c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Reeve's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 13 A sheffeld thwitel [v.r. thwytel] baar he in his hose.
1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) i. l. 218 A Scottis thewtill [1570 quhittil] undyr thi belt to ber.
1664 C. Cotton Scarronides 37 They rise, and wipe their greasie Thwittles.
1881 Antiquary Feb. 87 A bill-hook has been substituted for the thwittle.
1896 W. W. Skeat & T. Hallam Pegge's Two Coll. Derbicisms With a Lancashire thwittle I thwited a flail-swipple.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
thwittlev.
/ˈθwɪt(ə)l/ Now dialect.
transitive. To pare down or away, to whittle (also intransitive): = thwite v.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > decrease or reduction in quantity, amount, or degree > reduce in quantity, amount, or degree [verb (transitive)] > reduce by degrees
parea1475
whittle1552
thwittle1593
fritter1728
step1960
de-escalate1964
to phase down1970
the world > space > extension in space > reduction in size or extent > reduce in size or extent [verb (transitive)] > gradually > by removal of pieces
parea1475
nipa1585
thwittle1593
whittle1724
fine1750
1593 G. Harvey Pierces Supererogation 156 He hath thwitled the milpost of his huge..conceit, to a pudding-pricke.
1874 E. Waugh Jannock ii. 12 He'll not like to dine off o' what we'n bin thwittlin' at.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.c1405v.1593