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hone

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The definition of a hone is a fine grained, very hard stone which is used to sharpen cutting tools.

(noun)

An example of hone is what a chef would use to sharpen their best knife.

Hone is defined as to sharpen or make something more effective.

(verb)

An example of hone is a basketball player perfecting their dunk shot before a big game.

See hone in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

a fine-grained, hard stone used to sharpen cutting tools

Origin: ME < OE han, a stone, akin to ON hein, a hone < IE base *ko(i)-, to sharpen, whet > L cos, whetstone, cotes, sharp rock, Gr kōnos, cone

transitive verb honed, honing

to sharpen with or as with a hone
Mech. to enlarge or smooth (a bore) to exact specifications with a rotating stick () containing abrasive material

Related Forms:

honer noun

intransitive verb honed, honing

to yearn; long
to grumble; moan

Origin: ME honen < NormFr honer < OFr houir, to disgrace (< Frank *haunjan, to scorn, insult, akin to OE hean, wretched) < IE base *kau-, to humiliate > Latvian kauns, disgrace; sense infl. by OFr hognier, to grumble, prob. of echoic orig.

See hone in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A fine-grained whetstone for giving a keen edge to a cutting tool.
A tool with a rotating abrasive tip for enlarging holes to precise dimensions.

transitive verb honed honed, hon·ing, hones

To sharpen on a fine-grained whetstone.
To perfect or make more intense or effective: a speaker who honed her delivery by long practice.

Phrasal Verb: hone in To move or advance toward a target or goal: The missiles honed in on the military installation. To direct one's attention; focus: The lawyer honed in on the gist of the plaintiff's testimony.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old English hān, stone; see kō- in Indo-European roots

Origin: . Hone in

Origin: , alteration of home in

intransitive verb honed honed, hon·ing, hones
Informal