n.
Pronunciation: ' hwet, ' wet
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form: whet · ted ; whet · ting
Etymology: Middle English whetten, from Old English hwettan; akin to Old High German wezzen to whet, waz sharp
Date: before 12th century
1 : to sharpen by rubbing on or with something (as a stone) < whet a knife>
2 : to make keen or more acute : EXCITE , STIMULATE < whet the appetite> < whetted her curiosity>
– whet · ter noun