whet
to sharpen (a knife, tool, etc.) by grinding or friction.
to make keen or eager; stimulate: to whet the appetite; to whet the curiosity.
the act of whetting.
something that whets; appetizer or drink.
Chiefly Southern U.S.
a spell of work.
a while: to talk a whet.
Origin of whet
1Other words from whet
- whet·ter, noun
- un·whet·ted, adjective
Words that may be confused with whet
- wet, whet
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use whet in a sentence
Caruso was brought inside, and, whilst Whetter administered chloroform, McLean sewed up the wound.
The Home of the Blizzard | Douglas MawsonBoxes in which Whetter used to carry ice for domestic requirements were as a rule short-lived.
The Home of the Blizzard | Douglas MawsonI awakened the others, and Whetter and I got out, leaving Close inside to hang on to the bag.
The Home of the Blizzard | Douglas MawsonHodgeman joined Whetter and Bickerton in preparation for the air-tractor sledge's trip to the west.
The Home of the Blizzard | Douglas MawsonWhetter would describe some delicate surgical operation, while I talked about machinery.
The Home of the Blizzard | Douglas Mawson
British Dictionary definitions for whet
/ (wɛt) /
to sharpen, as by grinding or friction
to increase or enhance (the appetite, desire, etc); stimulate
the act of whetting
a person or thing that whets
Origin of whet
1Derived forms of whet
- whetter, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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