whet
[ hwet, wet ]
/ ʰwɛt, wɛt /
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verb (used with object), whet·ted, whet·ting.
to sharpen (a knife, tool, etc.) by grinding or friction.
to make keen or eager; stimulate: to whet the appetite; to whet the curiosity.
noun
the act of whetting.
something that whets; appetizer or drink.
Chiefly Southern U.S.
- a spell of work.
- a while: to talk a whet.
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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
OTHER WORDS FROM whet
whet·ter, nounun·whet·ted, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH whet
wet, whetDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use whet in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for whet
whet
/ (wɛt) /
verb whets, whetting or whetted (tr)
to sharpen, as by grinding or friction
to increase or enhance (the appetite, desire, etc); stimulate
noun
the act of whetting
a person or thing that whets
Derived forms of whet
whetter, nounWord Origin for whet
Old English hwettan; related to hvæt sharp, Old High German hwezzen, Old Norse hvetja, Gothic hvatjan
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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