honing

American  

[hoh-ning] / ˈhoʊ nɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of sharpening something on a hone or whetstone.

   The precision alignment of the cutting machine’s knife is not affected by the honing of the sharp edge.

2. the act or process of improving or perfecting a skill, program, idea, etc..

   In the third and fourth years the emphasis is on advanced training, with further honing of skills and attainment of competency.

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adjective

1. serving to sharpen or perfect.

   It is always a honing experience for us to come here and answer your questions—we leave a little sharper than we were before.

Etymology

Origin of honing

First recorded in 1790–1800; hone ¹ + -ing ¹ for the noun senses; hone ¹ + -ing ² for the adjective sense

Example Sentences

Russia has been honing and testing similar infrastructure for the past year.

From The Wall Street Journal

Autism therapy can include teaching young children to follow directions, practicing chores or honing communication skills, and is mostly administered by registered behavior technicians, the lower-wage workers.

From The Wall Street Journal

My wife went through months of rehab—honing her focus, regaining her balance and eventually returning full-time to her career.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It’s really just going back to what I what I do best, and really just honing in on it,” Betts said.

From Los Angeles Times

In Arctic Dolphin, sub-hunting ships and aircraft were joined by two submarines, from Norway and Germany, aboard which U.S. and Canadian officers are honing their skills.

From The Wall Street Journal