Whetted

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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[aum]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 Caesar,
              I have not slept.                     --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {To whet on}, {To whet forward}, to urge on or forward; to
        instigate. --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  whetted
       See {whet}

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  whet
       v 1: make keen or more acute; "whet my appetite" [syn: {quicken}]
       2: sharpen by rubbing, as on a whetstone
       [also: {whetting}, {whetted}]