whet
to sharpen (a knife, tool, etc.) by grinding or friction.
to make keen or eager; stimulate: to whet the appetite; to whet the curiosity.
the act of whetting.
something that whets; appetizer or drink.
Chiefly Southern U.S.
a spell of work.
a while: to talk a whet.
Origin of whet
1Other words from whet
- whet·ter, noun
- un·whet·ted, adjective
Words that may be confused with whet
- wet, 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
To whet your appetite, you can relive that glorious moment (and watch other programs from the 2014 summit) here.
To whet your appetite, here are three heavy-hitting fashion moments happening in the coming days.
Fashion Flash: New York's Week of Excitement | The Daily Beast | September 10, 2010 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd his accessible focus on food will whet the appetite of gourmands and food novices alike.
Unfortunately, he was afflicted with elephantiasis, and his appearance did not at all tend to whet the edge of our appetites.
A Woman's Journey Round the World | Ida PfeifferAnd this was as it should be; the intent of that little prologue was merely to whet the appetite for the real play.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage | Gertrude W. Morrison
Also, to wondering if Nova Scotia air was to whet their appetites this way all the time.
Dorothy's Travels | Evelyn RaymondVermouth and absinthe had been served to whet their appetites, and every one had been at once put into good spirits.
The Works of Guy de Maupassant, Volume VIII. | Guy de MaupassantIndeed, it seemed only to whet the appetite, and we both set out on an eager expedition for more food.
The Memoirs of General P. H. Sheridan, Complete | General Philip Henry Sheridan
British Dictionary definitions for whet
/ (wɛt) /
to sharpen, as by grinding or friction
to increase or enhance (the appetite, desire, etc); stimulate
the act of whetting
a person or thing that whets
Origin of whet
1Derived 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
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