whet
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whet
- /ˈwɛt/ UK
- [ˈwɛ(ʔ)t̚] UK
- /ˈwɛt/ US
- /ˈʍɛt/ US
- [ˈʍɛ(ʔ)t̚] US
Sounds like wet (wine–whine merger) · Rhymes with -ɛt
Where it comes from
The verb is derived from Middle English whetten (“to make the edge of (a sword, tool, etc.) sharp; to grunt, snort; to scrape the ground with (one’s feet); to make a chattering or grinding sound; (figurative) of a person: to prepare for battle; to make (one’s wit) alert or keen; to strengthen (one’s heart or will); to incite, provoke”), from Old English hwettan (“to sharpen, whet; (figurative) to encourage, incite”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwattjan (“to sharpen, whet”), from Proto-Germanic *hwatjaną (“to sharpen, whet; (figurative) to incite, instigate”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₁d- (“sharp”).
Verb sense 1.3.3 (“to inculcate or teach (habits, information, etc.)”) is from Deuteronomy 6:6–7 in the Bible (New International Version): “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children.” The word translated as impress is Hebrew שָׁנַן (shanán, “to be sharp; to sharpen, whet”).
The noun is derived from the verb.
cognates
* Dialectal Danish hvæde (“to whet”)
* Dutch wetten (“to whet, sharpen”)
* German wetzen (“to whet, sharpen”)
* Icelandic hvetja (“to whet, encourage, catalyze”)
verb whets · whetting · whetted · whet
- To sharpen (something, such as a knife or sword) by rubbing on an object, especially a whetstone; to hone. Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly?
- Of an animal such as a boar: to sharpen (its horns, teeth, tusks, etc.) by rubbing on a stone, etc., in preparation for an attack.
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To make more keen or to stimulate (someone's appetite, interest, etc.); to hone, to sharpen.
to whet one's appetite or one's courage
Similar: rouse, animate, awaken, electrify, enflame, enkindle, enthrill, exagitate, excite, exhilarate, exsuscitate, fillip
- To encourage (someone) to do something; to incite, to urge.
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To inculcate or teach (habits, information, etc.).
Similar: abet, actuate, goose, fuel, light a fire under, send, sting, bring about, cheer, draw, drive, encourage
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Of a bird: to preen (its feathers).
Similar: primp, smarten up
- To make more keen; to stimulate.
- To prepare for an attack.
- To consume drink or food as an appetizer.
noun whets
- An act of sharpening something by rubbing on an object, especially a whetstone.
- An occasion to do something; a go, a turn.
- A period of time between two sharpenings of a scythe.
- An item of drink or food consumed as an appetizer or to ward off hunger until a meal; specifically, a small amount of liquor drunk as an appetizer; a dram, a nip. sips, drams, and whets
- A thing which makes one's desire, interest, etc., more keen; an incitement, an inducement. A really good game, to my mind, must have an element, however slight, of physical danger to the player. This is the great whet to skilled performance.
Translations
Every language
verb (transitive) to sharpen (something) by rubbing on an object; of an animal: to sharpen (its horns, teeth, tusks, etc.) by rubbing — see also hone
| Español | afilar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 磨 |
| Português | afiar, amolar |
| Français | aiguiser |
| Deutsch | wetzen |
| Italiano | affilare |
| Română | ascuți |
| Русский | пра́вить právitʹ, точи́ть točítʹ, поточи́ть potočítʹ |
| العربية | حَدَّدَ ḥaddada, شَحَذَ šaḥaḏa |
verb (transitive) to make more keen or to stimulate (someone’s appetite, interest, etc.); (intransitive) to make more keen — see also hone, sharpen, stimulate
| Español | estimular |
|---|---|
| Português | aguçar, estimular |
| Français | attiser |
| Italiano | stimolare, stuzzicare |
| Română | ațâța |
| Русский | обостря́ть obostrjátʹ, обостри́ть obostrítʹ, разжигать razžigatʹ, разже́чь razžéčʹ, возбужда́ть vozbuždátʹ, возбуди́ть vozbudítʹ |
Talk about this word "whet." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/whet. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. whet. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/whet "whet." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/whet.Cite this
@misc{whet_2026,
title = {whet},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/whet},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
