whet
pronunciation
How to pronounce whet in British English:
UK [wet]
How to pronounce whet in American English:
US [hwɛt, wɛt]
-
- Verb:
- make keen or more acute
- sharpen by rubbing, as on a whetstone
Word Origin
- whet (v.)
- Old English hwettan "to whet, sharpen," figuratively "incite, encourage," from Proto-Germanic *hwatjan (cognates: Old Norse hvetja "to sharpen, encourage," Middle Low German, Middle Dutch wetten, Old High German wezzan, German wetzen "to sharpen," Gothic ga-hvatjan "to sharpen, incite"), from PIE root *kwed- "to sharpen" (cognates: Sanskrit codati "incites," literally "sharpens;" Old English hwæt "brave, bold," Old Saxon hwat "sharp").
Example
- 1. I knew the steely ire I had whet .
- 2. Casanova was said to share oysters with his paramours to whet their sexual appetites .
- 3. If one does not turn , he will whet his sword . He bends his bow and makes it ready .
- 4. Whet the song of mushroom natural winding .
- 5. If the iron be blunt , and he do not whet the edge , then must he put to more strength : but wisdom is profitable to direct .