hone

[ hohn ]

/ hoʊn /

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See synonyms for: hone / honed / hones / honing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), honed, hon·ing.

to make more acute or effective; improve; perfect: to hone one's skills.

to sharpen on a whetstone with a fine, compact texture: to hone a carving knife.

to enlarge or finish (a hole) using a precision tool with a mechanically rotated abrasive tip.

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.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of hone

First recorded before 950; Middle English noun hone, hain “whetstone”; Old English hān “stone, boundary stone, rock”; cognate with Old Norse hein “hone”; akin to cone

OTHER WORDS FROM hone

hon·er, noun

Other definitions for hone (2 of 2)

hone²

[ 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

1590–1600; <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. 2023

How to use hone in a sentence

The next step was to hone the ability to keep sperm cold as it traveled between the lab and various farms.
The secret weapon for distributing a potential covid-19 vaccine|Joanna Radin|November 12, 2020|Washington Post
Plan to put down your bike, climbing rack, fishing rod, or running shoes for a good portion of the summer while you hone your skills with your weapon, get your gear ready, and familiarize yourself with your hunting area before the season begins.
The Beginner's Guide to Hunting|Ian Fohrman|October 30, 2020|Outside Online
Using this time to stay sharp on an orchestra’s worth of instruments, he further hones the skills that have made him one of the most enduring figures in jazz.
Marshall Allen is 96 years old and still leading one of the most visionary jazz groups of all time|Shannon Effinger|October 30, 2020|Washington Post
Ben Webley, Director of Gaming, Americas at FacebookAchieving top performance when engaging app audiences often requires marketers to monitor, tweak manually and hone each campaign element.
Machine learning is unlocking performance at scale for app marketers|Facebook Gaming|October 28, 2020|Digiday

After a lifetime of drag shows, car meets, and all sorts of misadventures, he’s been able to apply his unique point of view and improv-honed creativity into engaging copy across nonprofits, automotive brands, and tech companies.
How to use personal passions to create meaningful content|Jack Schuleman|October 20, 2020|Search Engine Watch
"It ain't bein' a crowned head, but it's honer'ble," pleaded the sick man, continuing the conversation.
The Skipper and the Skipped|Holman Day
"'T is n't yer honer's failin', anyhow," said Tom, laughing sardonically.
Roland Cashel|Charles James Lever
I do, your honer, jist for my wife's mother, ye see; but I live down towards Cash.
The Macdermots of Ballycloran|Anthony Trollope
Shure yer honer knows the masther, Mr. Thady down at Ballycloran; he will tell yer honer I'd nothing in life to do in it.
The Macdermots of Ballycloran|Anthony Trollope
Long life to yer honer—and may ye live to see the esthate your own yet, and not owe a shilling!
The Macdermots of Ballycloran|Anthony Trollope

British Dictionary definitions for hone (1 of 2)

hone¹

/ (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 for hone

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)

hone²

/ (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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

hone

Origin of hone

OTHER WORDS FROM hone

Other definitions for hone (2 of 2)

Origin of hone

Words related to hone

How to use hone in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hone (1 of 2)

Word Origin for hone

usage for hone

British Dictionary definitions for hone (2 of 2)

Word Origin for hone