whet

American  

[hwet, wet] / ʰwɛt, wɛt /

verb (used with object)

whetted, whetting

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.

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noun

1. the act of whetting.

2. something that whets; appetizer or drink.

3. Chiefly Southern U.S.

   1. a spell of work.

   2. a while.

      to talk a whet.

whet British  

/ wɛt /

verb

1. to sharpen, as by grinding or friction

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

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noun

1. the act of whetting

2. a person or thing that whets

Other Word Forms

• unwhetted adjective
• whetter noun

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

Example Sentences

The talk has ceased, but a successful acquisition of Greenland could whet his appetite anew.

From The Wall Street Journal

Our critic said: “While just a sampling, the show whets one’s appetite. It suggests the need for a dedicated space for rotating displays of the Corcoran’s paper treasures.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The report added that Lukoil's foreign assets had also whetted the appetite of US investment company Carlyle and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund IHC.

From Barron's

While just a sampling, the show whets one’s appetite.

From The Wall Street Journal

That ritual whetted his curiosity about his nation’s native spirit.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• incite
• kindle
• pique
• stimulate