whet
Americanverb (used with object)
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to sharpen (a knife, tool, etc.) by grinding or friction.
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to make keen or eager; stimulate.
to whet the appetite; to whet the curiosity.
noun
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the act of whetting.
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something that whets; appetizer or drink.
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Chiefly Southern U.S.
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a spell of work.
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a while.
to talk a whet.
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verb
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to sharpen, as by grinding or friction
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to increase or enhance (the appetite, desire, etc); stimulate
noun
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the act of whetting
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a person or thing that whets
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have whettedperfect
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has whettedperfect 3rd person singular
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am whettingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been whettingperfect progressive
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is whettingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are whettingprogressive
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has been whettingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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whetssingular 3rd person
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whettingparticiple
Past
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had whettedperfect
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was whettingprogressive singular
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were whettingprogressive plural
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had been whettingperfect progressive
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whettedsimple
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whettedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of whet
before 900; Middle English whetten (v.), Old English hwettan (derivative of hwæt bold); cognate with German wetzen, Old Norse hvetja, Gothic gahwatjan to incite
Explanation
To whet is to sharpen. You could whet a knife's blade with a whetstone, or you could whet your appetite by having a small salad before dinner. The verb whet can mean "to stimulate or make more acute," and the word is often used in the phrase "whet [your] appetite," which works both literally and figuratively. You could serve light appetizers to whet a guest's appetite for dinner, or give an actor a small part to whet their appetite for a bigger role. In fact, you can whet any desire or sense — such as curiosity, interest, or ambition.
Vocabulary lists containing whet
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Alchemist
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100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Whet your appetite by learning more about JWST’s first data and full-color images and what they mean for science operations to come.
From The Verge • Jul. 12, 2022
“Acts and celebrities that work well understand that they are nothing without their fans,” said Jason Beukema, founder of Miami-based Whet Travel, which has booked acts such as Slayer, Motörhead and Tyga.
From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 21, 2018
Whet your appetite with a spritz and some cicchetti at Al Timon, a canalside bacaro in Cannaregio where regulars spill out along the sidewalk nightly.
From New York Times • Jun. 12, 2014
"Whet" seems both cautionary and seductive in offering a fantasy where your only companions might be multiple versions of yourself in different guises.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 21, 2012
Also, his school—the Saw Whet School— was named after a type of owl.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
