whetting
Variant of whet
whet (hwet, wet)
transitive verb whetted whet′·ted, whetting whet′·ting
- to sharpen by rubbing or grinding (the edge of a knife or tool); hone
- to make keen; stimulate to whet the appetite
Etymology: ME whetten < OE hwettan, to make keen < hwæt, sharp, keen, bold < IE base *kwed-, to pierce, sharpen, whet > prob. L (tri)quetrus, (three-)cornered
noun
- an act of whetting
- something that whets (the appetite, etc.)
Related Forms:
- whetter whet′·ter noun
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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