chip at

chip (away) at something

to break off tiny pieces of something little by little. The mason chipped away at the bricks. He chipped at the block of marble gently.

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Meklit	-	Eastern African, Amharic
Harvey	['ha:vi]
Gobinet	-	Irish
Isi	-	Native American, Choctaw
Langley	['læŋli]
Leevi	LE:-vee	Finnish