whet
Americanverb (used with object)
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to sharpen (a knife, tool, etc.) by grinding or friction.
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to make keen or eager; stimulate.
to whet the appetite; to whet the curiosity.
noun
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the act of whetting.
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something that whets; appetizer or drink.
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Chiefly Southern U.S.
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a spell of work.
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a while.
to talk a whet.
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verb
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to sharpen, as by grinding or friction
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to increase or enhance (the appetite, desire, etc); stimulate
noun
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the act of whetting
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a person or thing that whets
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have whettedperfect
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has whettedperfect 3rd person singular
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am whettingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been whettingperfect progressive
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is whettingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are whettingprogressive
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has been whettingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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whetssingular 3rd person
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whettingparticiple
Past
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had whettedperfect
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was whettingprogressive singular
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had been whettingperfect progressive
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were whettingprogressive plural
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whettedsimple
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whettedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of whet
before 900; Middle English whetten (v.), Old English hwettan (derivative of hwæt bold); cognate with German wetzen, Old Norse hvetja, Gothic gahwatjan to incite
Explanation
To whet is to sharpen. You could whet a knife's blade with a whetstone, or you could whet your appetite by having a small salad before dinner. The verb whet can mean "to stimulate or make more acute," and the word is often used in the phrase "whet [your] appetite," which works both literally and figuratively. You could serve light appetizers to whet a guest's appetite for dinner, or give an actor a small part to whet their appetite for a bigger role. In fact, you can whet any desire or sense — such as curiosity, interest, or ambition.
Vocabulary lists containing whet
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Alchemist
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100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Whet your appetite by learning more about JWST’s first data and full-color images and what they mean for science operations to come.
From The Verge • Jul. 12, 2022
“Acts and celebrities that work well understand that they are nothing without their fans,” said Jason Beukema, founder of Miami-based Whet Travel, which has booked acts such as Slayer, Motörhead and Tyga.
From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 21, 2018
Whet your appetite with a spritz and some cicchetti at Al Timon, a canalside bacaro in Cannaregio where regulars spill out along the sidewalk nightly.
From New York Times • Jun. 12, 2014
Anthony Goicolea's "Whet" from 1999, like so much of his work, explores an entirely inner world in which he's not just the photographer but the subject, multiplied several times over thanks to digital trickery.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 21, 2012
The main hallway of the Saw Whet School was a busy place until 8:35 a.m., when class officially started.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
