WHET


Meaning of WHET in English

I. ˈhwet, ˈwet transitive verb

( 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

II. noun

Date: circa 1628

1. dialect

a. : a spell of work done with a scythe between the time it is sharpened and the time it needs to be sharpened again

b. : time , while

2. : something that sharpens or makes keen:

a. : goad , incitement

b. : appetizer ; also : a drink of liquor

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.