drove chisel

9.8

A tool with a broad flat metal blade for smoothing or shaping stone surfaces

noun

Specialized

: cincel de golpe

The mason selected a drove chisel to smooth the face of the sandstone block.

Examples

Before finishing the sculpture, she carefully worked the surface with a drove chisel.
The drove chisel is essential for finishing stone sculptures.
A drove chisel is ideal for dressing and leveling larger stone areas.
Can you pass me the drove chisel?
The mason selected a drove chisel to smooth the face of the sandstone block.
Before finishing the sculpture, she carefully worked the surface with a drove chisel.
A drove chisel is ideal for dressing and leveling larger stone areas.

Synonyms

drove

vsdrove chisel

Archaic

9.9

A broad chisel used by stone workers to smooth stone

is identical in function but stresses a flat edge for shaping stone

Surface Forms

drove chisel singular

drove chisels plural

Morphology

drove + chisel

Both constituents are literal and directly identify the tool: 'drove' denotes a broad, flat chisel and 'chisel' names the tool class, so the compound simply specifies a type of chisel. This regular noun+noun naming pattern is compositional and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Drove chisel may come from the idea of a drove or 'driven' chisel, a wide blade that a stone worker would hit and push along the surface to knock off large rough pieces. So, drove chisel now means a broad, flat chisel used for smoothing and shaping stone.