Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Whet

Whet

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Whetted
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Whetting
.]
[AS.
hwettan
; akin to D.
wetten
, G.
wetzen
, OHG.
wezzen
, Icel.
hvetja
, Sw.
vättja
, and AS.
hwæt
vigorous, brave, OS.
hwat
, OHG.
waz
,
was
, sharp, Icel.
hvatr
, bold, active, Sw.
hvass
sharp, Dan.
hvas
, Goth.
hwassaba
sharply, and probably to Skr.
cud
to impel, urge on.]
1.
To rub or on with some substance, as a piece of stone, for the purpose of sharpening; to sharpen by attrition;
as, to
whet
a knife
.
The mower
whets
his scythe.
Milton.
Here roams the wolf, the eagle
whets
his beak.
Byron.
2.
To make sharp, keen, or eager; to excite; to stimulate;
as, to
whet
the appetite or the courage
.
Since Cassius first did
whet
me against Caesar,
I have not slept.
Shakespeare
To whet on
,
To whet forward
,
to urge on or forward; to instigate.
Shak.

Whet

,
Noun.
1.
The act of whetting.
2.
That which whets or sharpens; esp., an appetizer.
“Sips, drams, and whets.”
Spectator.
Whet slate
(Min.)
,
a variety of slate used for sharpening cutting instruments; novaculite; – called also
whetstone slate
, and
oilstone
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Whet

WHET

,
Verb.
T.
pret. and pp. whetted or whet. [G.]
1.
To rub for the purpose of sharpening, as an edge tool; to sharpen by attrition; as, to whet a sythe or an ax.
2.
To provoke; to excite; to stimulate; as, to whet the appetite.
3.
To provoke; to make angry or acrimonious.
Since Cassius first did whet me against Cesar, I have not slept.
To whet on or whet forward, to urge on; to instigate. [Not used nor proper.]

WHET

,
Noun.
1.
The act of sharpening by friction.
2.
Something that provokes or stimulates the appetite; as sips, drams and whets.

Definition 2024


whet

whet

English

Verb

whet (third-person singular simple present whets, present participle whetting, simple past and past participle whetted)

  1. (transitive) To hone or rub on with some substance, as a piece of stone, for the purpose of sharpening – see whetstone.
    • Milton
      The mower whets his scythe.
    • Byron
      Here roams the wolf, the eagle whets his beak.
  2. (transitive) To stimulate or make more keen.
    to whet one's appetite or one's courage
    • Shakespeare
      Since Cassius first did whet me against Caesar, / I have not slept.
    • 2003-10-20, Naomi Wolf, The Porn Myth, New York Magazine
      In the end, porn doesn’t whet men’s appetites—it turns them off the real thing.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

whet (plural whets)

  1. The act of whetting something.
  2. That which whets or sharpens; especially, an appetizer.
    • Spectator
    • sips, drams, and whets

Anagrams