חָטַט 1) to dig, cut out (of the sucket), hollow out. Mikv. IV, 3 החוֹטֵט בצינור וכ׳ if one makes a cavity in a water pipe for the deposit of pebbles. Gen. R. s. 34 היה חוטט את וכ׳ the embryo would cut its way through &c. Kidd. 24ᵇ וחֲטָטָהּ and he (the master) cut it (the eye) out. —2) to rake, clean a well. M. Kat. I, 2 וחוֹטְטִין אותן and you may clean the wells. Ib. 5ᵃ ח׳ … ואין חופרין וכ׳ you may clean …, but not dig (deepen) &c. [Ib. ולא חוטטין לתוכן you must not rake pebbles into them; v., however vers. Ms. M., Rabb. D. S. a. l.]—Y. ib. 80ᵇ bot. חוטטין אותן גרפין לון וכ׳ (not חוטטן) ḥot’tin means ‘they rake them’, as we read (Mikv. l. c.). —3) to take sheaves out with a rake. Succ. I, 8 החוטט בגדיש וכ׳ if one takes sheaves out of a stack, so as to form a shed (Succah). Ib. 15ᵃ
Pi. - חִטֵּט 1) to rake. Y. Sabb. III, beg. 5ᶜ צריך לחַטֵּט ביד וכ׳ he must rake (coals and ashes out of the oven) with a handle, which proves that he must clean thoroughly. —2) to make holes, to pick. Tosef. Mikv. VII (VIII), 2 אוצין צריך לחטט Var. (ed. Zuck. לחַטְחֵט) if the holes in the baskets are filled up with grapes &c., one must clean them by picking. B. Kam. 18ᵃ תרנגולין שהיו מְחַטְּטִין וכ׳ chickens that picked on the rope of a bucket. Tosef. B. Mets. VIII, 30 שמְחַטְּטִין את וכ׳ (Var. שמְחַטְחֲטִין) for they pick holes in the walls. —3) (with אחר) to dig after, to trace with the knife. Ḥull. 74ᵇ; Tosef. Ib. VII, 4. —4) to trim. Sabb. 90ᵃ; Men. 107ᵃ, v. מָחַט.
Pilp. - חִטְחֵט same. Y. Orl. III, 63ᵃ מצוי לחַטְחֵט אחריו it is likely that they dig after it (to take it out of the ground); a. e. (v. supra).