whet
Americanverb (used with object)
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to sharpen (a knife, tool, etc.) by grinding or friction.
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to make keen or eager; stimulate.
to whet the appetite; to whet the curiosity.
noun
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the act of whetting.
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something that whets; appetizer or drink.
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Chiefly Southern U.S.
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a spell of work.
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a while.
to talk a whet.
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verb
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to sharpen, as by grinding or friction
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to increase or enhance (the appetite, desire, etc); stimulate
noun
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the act of whetting
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a person or thing that whets
Other Word Forms
- unwhetted adjective
- whetter noun
Etymology
Origin of whet
before 900; Middle English whetten (v.), Old English hwettan (derivative of hwæt bold); cognate with German wetzen, Old Norse hvetja, Gothic gahwatjan to incite
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She whet his palate with detailed reports dissecting the southern Italian dialect spoken by his grandmother.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
Such arguments will no doubt whet the appetites of law professors everywhere and may set up a clash that the Supreme Court will ultimately resolve.
From Salon • Jan. 11, 2025
The idea, Disney officials said, is to whet people’s appetites and encourage upgrades to the full bundle.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2024
It will whet the appetite for more, especially from the club's Saudi Arabian owners who see the Champions League as the most natural fit for their ambitions.
From BBC • Dec. 13, 2023
As so often happens in science, their discoveries only whet the appetite for more research, which in turn created a demand for bigger, more expensive accelerators.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.