whittler

whit·tle  (hwtl, wtl)

v. whit·tled, whit·tling, whit·tles

v.tr.

1.

a. To cut small bits or pare shavings from (a piece of wood).

b. To fashion or shape in this way: whittle a toy boat.

2. To reduce or eliminate gradually, as if by whittling with a knife: whittled down the debt by making small payments.

v.intr.

To cut or shape wood with a knife.

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[From Middle English whyttel, knife, variant of thwitel, from thwiten, to whittle, from Old English thwtan, to strike, whittle down.]

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whittler n.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

whittler - someone who whittles (usually as an idle pastime) do-nothing, idler, layabout, loafer, bum - person who does no work; "a lazy bum"