hone
1[ hohn ]
/ hoʊn /
noun
a whetstone of fine, compact texture for sharpening razors and other cutting tools.
a precision tool with a mechanically rotated abrasive tip, for enlarging holes to precise dimensions.
verb (used with object), honed, hon·ing.
to sharpen on a hone: to hone a carving knife.
to enlarge or finish (a hole) with a hone.
to make more acute or effective; improve; perfect: to hone one's skills.
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Hone In vs. Home InDoes a plane home in on a target or hone in on it? Does a musician hone her skills or home them? Are these two verbs interchangeable or do they have discrete meanings? Today we explore the origins and uses of hone and home. Hone entered English as a noun for a pointed rock used as a landmark. In the 1400s, it began to be …
Nearby words
hond., honda, hondo, honduran, honduras, hone, honecker, honegger, honest, honest broker, honest injun
Origin of hone
1before 950; Middle English (noun); Old English hān stone, rock; cognate with Old Norse hein hone; akin to cone
Related forms
hon·er, nounDefinition for hone (2 of 2)
hone
2[ hohn ]
/ hoʊn /
verb (used without object), honed, hon·ing.
South Midland and Southern U.S. to yearn; long: to hone for the farm life; to hone after peach pie.
Archaic. to moan and groan.
Origin of hone
21590–1600; < Anglo-French *honer; Old French hogner to grumble, growl < Germanic; compare Old Saxon hōnian to abuse, revile
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for hone
British Dictionary definitions for hone (1 of 2)
hone
1/ (həʊn) /
noun
a fine whetstone, esp for sharpening razors
a tool consisting of a number of fine abrasive slips held in a machine head, rotated and reciprocated to impart a smooth finish to cylinder bores, etc
verb
(tr) to sharpen or polish with or as if with a hone
Word Origin for hone
Old English hān stone; related to Old Norse hein
usage
Hone is sometimes wrongly used where home is meant: this device makes it easier to home in on (not hone in on) the target
British Dictionary definitions for hone (2 of 2)
hone
2/ (həʊn) /
verb (intr) dialect
(often foll by for or after) to yearn or pine
to moan or grieve
Word Origin for hone
C17: from Old French hogner to growl, probably of Germanic origin; compare Old High German hōnen to revile
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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