whittling

noun4

1. •
   The art of carving shapes out of raw wood using a knife.
2. •
   A process of repeatedly shaving slivers from a piece of wood (non-artistic).
3. •
   (figurative) The reducing of something by degrees, especially at the expense of some effort.
4. •
   [usually plural] A chip or shaving whittled from some larger substance.