whet

[ hwet, wet ]
See synonyms for: whetwhetted on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),whet·ted, whet·ting.
  1. to sharpen (a knife, tool, etc.) by grinding or friction.

  2. to make keen or eager; stimulate: to whet the appetite; to whet the curiosity.

noun
  1. the act of whetting.

  2. something that whets; appetizer or drink.

  1. Chiefly Southern U.S.

    • a spell of work.

    • a while: to talk a whet.

Origin of whet

1
before 900; Middle English whetten (v.), Old English hwettan (derivative of hwæt bold); cognate with German wetzen,Old Norse hvetja,Gothic gahwatjan to incite

Other words from whet

  • whet·ter, noun
  • un·whet·ted, adjective

Words that may be confused with whet

Words Nearby whet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use whet in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for whet

whet

/ (wɛt) /


verbwhets, whetting or whetted (tr)
  1. to sharpen, as by grinding or friction

  2. to increase or enhance (the appetite, desire, etc); stimulate

noun
  1. the act of whetting

  2. a person or thing that whets

Origin of whet

1
Old English hwettan; related to hvæt sharp, Old High German hwezzen, Old Norse hvetja, Gothic hvatjan

Derived 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