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whet

whet
W w

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [hwet, wet]
    • /ʰwɛt, wɛt/
    • /wet/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [hwet, wet]
    • /ʰwɛt, wɛt/

Definitions of whet word

  • verb with object whet to sharpen (a knife, tool, etc.) by grinding or friction. 1
  • verb with object whet to make keen or eager; stimulate: to whet the appetite; to whet the curiosity. 1
  • noun whet the act of whetting. 1
  • noun whet something that whets; appetizer or drink. 1
  • noun whet Chiefly Southern U.S. a spell of work. a while: to talk a whet. 1
  • noun whet Sharpen the blade of (a tool or weapon). 1

Information block about the term

Origin of whet

First appearance:

before 900
One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English whetten (v.), Old English hwettan (derivative of hwæt bold); cognate with German wetzen, Old Norse hvetja, Gothic gahwatjan to incite

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Whet

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

whet popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 91% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.

whet usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for whet

verb whet

  • sharpen — knife: make sharper
  • hone — a whetstone of fine, compact texture for sharpening razors and other cutting tools.
  • file — a powder made from the ground leaves of the sassafras tree, used as a thickener and to impart a pungent taste to soups, gumbos, and other dishes.
  • grind — to wear, smooth, or sharpen by abrasion or friction; whet: to grind a lens.
  • edge — a line or border at which a surface terminates: Grass grew along the edges of the road. The paper had deckle edges.

Antonyms for whet

verb whet

  • blunt — If you are blunt, you say exactly what you think without trying to be polite.
  • quell — to suppress; put an end to; extinguish: The troops quelled the rebellion quickly.
  • dampen — To dampen something such as someone's enthusiasm or excitement means to make it less lively or intense.
  • dishearten — to depress the hope, courage, or spirits of; discourage.
  • dull — not sharp; blunt: a dull knife.

Top questions with whet

  • what is whet?
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See also

Matching words

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