▪ I. thwittle, n. Now dial.
(ˈθwɪt(ə)l)
Forms: 4–5 þw-, thwitel, thwytel, 5 -elle, Sc. thewtill, quhittil, 6 thwitle, 7 thwittel, 7– thwittle: see also whittle.
[f. thwite v. + -el, -le.]
A knife, a whittle.
| [c 1325 Gloss. W. de Bibbesw. in Wright Voc. 168 Coteus, thiwilet (? for thwitel).] c 1386 Chaucer Reeve's T. 13 A Sheffeld thwitel [v.r. thwytel] baar he in his hose. c 1470 Henry Wallace i. 218 A Scottis thewtill [ed. 1570 quhittil] wndyr thi belt to ber. 1664 Cotton Scarron. 37 They rise and wipe their greasy thwittles. 1796 Pegge Derbicisms (E.D.S.), With a Lancashire thwittle I thwited a flail-swipple. 1881 Antiquary Feb. 87 A bill-hook has been substituted for the thwittle. |
▪ II. thwittle, v. Now dial.
(ˈθwɪt(ə)l)
[freq. and dim. of thwite v.: see -le 3.]
trans. To pare down or away, to whittle (also intr.): = thwite v.
| 1593 G. Harvey Pierce's Super. Wks. (Grosart) II. 244 He hath thwittled 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. |