Whetted

Whetted
Whet Whet, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Whetted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Whetting}.] [AS. hwettan; akin to D. wetten, G. wetzen, OHG. wezzen, Icel. hvetja, Sw. v["a]ttja, and AS. hw[ae]t vigorous, brave, OS. hwat, OHG. waz, was, sharp, Icel. hvatr, bold, active, Sw. hvass sharp, Dan. hvas, Goth. hwassaba sharply, and probably to Skr. cud to impel, urge on.] [1913 Webster] 1. To rub or on with some substance, as a piece of stone, for the purpose of sharpening; to sharpen by attrition; as, to whet a knife. [1913 Webster]

The mower whets his scythe. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

Here roams the wolf, the eagle whets his beak. --Byron. [1913 Webster]

2. To make sharp, keen, or eager; to excite; to stimulate; as, to whet the appetite or the courage. [1913 Webster]

Since Cassius first did whet me against C[ae]sar, I have not slept. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

{To whet on}, {To whet forward}, to urge on or forward; to instigate. --Shak. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • whetted — un·whetted; whetted; …   English syllables

  • whetted — hwet / hwet n. sharpening; stimulus; appetizer v. sharpen; awaken, stimulate …   English contemporary dictionary

  • whetted — past of whet …   Useful english dictionary

  • whet — I. transitive verb (whetted; whetting) 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… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • The rise of Jat power — ’ (king) was conferred upon him in 1724. [Dr P.L. Vishwakarma, The Jats, I, Ed Dr Vir Singh, (Delhi:2004), 116] In past Jats always rose against tyranny, injustice, economic and social exploitations and were never overawed by claims of racial or… …   Wikipedia

  • whet — [wet] v past tense and past participle whetted present participle whetting [T] [: Old English; Origin: hwettan] 1.) whet sb s appetite (for sth) if an experience whets your appetite for something, it increases your desire for it ▪ The view from… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • whet someone's appetite — whet (someone s) appetite if an experience whets someone s appetite for something, it makes them want more of it. That first flying lesson whetted her appetite. I did a short course last year, and it s whetted my appetite for study. (often + for) …   New idioms dictionary

  • whet appetite — whet (someone s) appetite if an experience whets someone s appetite for something, it makes them want more of it. That first flying lesson whetted her appetite. I did a short course last year, and it s whetted my appetite for study. (often + for) …   New idioms dictionary

  • whet — UK [wet] / US / US [hwet] verb [transitive] Word forms whet : present tense I/you/we/they whet he/she/it whets present participle whetting past tense whetted past participle whetted if you whet a blade, you make it sharper using a whetstone •… …   English dictionary

  • unwhetted — “+ adjective Etymology: un (I) + whetted, past participle of whet : not whetted …   Useful english dictionary

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