Whet
/wɛt/noun
To sharpen a blade or stimulate interest, appetite, or desire.
Did you know?The figurative sense of whetting curiosity or appetite comes from the physical act of sharpening an edge—desire is metaphorically honed like a weapon.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kweit-
“To shine or be bright; a proposed ancestral root connected with whiteness and sharp brightness.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hwatjaną
“To sharpen or make sharp.”
Old English
Old English
hwettan
“To sharpen, especially a blade; also to stimulate or encourage.”
Middle English
Middle English
whetten
“To sharpen, and figuratively to excite or stimulate.”
Modern English
English
whet
“To sharpen physically or intensify an appetite, interest, or desire.”