whet

To sharpen (something, such as a knife or sword) by rubbing on an object, especially a whetstone; to hone.archaictransitive

• Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly?
• And the Mower whets his ſithe,

Of an animal such as a boar: to sharpen (its horns, teeth, tusks, etc.) by rubbing on a stone, etc., in preparation for an attack.transitive

To make more keen or to stimulate (someone's appetite, interest, etc.); to hone, to sharpen.figurativelytransitive

• to whet one's appetite or one's courage
• My faith in vegetarianism grew on me from day to day. Salt's book whetted my appetite for dietetic studies. I went in for all books available on vegetarianism and read them.

To encourage (someone) to do something; to incite, to urge.figurativelyobsoletetransitive

To inculcate or teach (habits, information, etc.).figurativelyobsoletetransitive

Of a bird: to preen (its feathers).figurativelyobsoleterare

To make more keen; to stimulate.figurativelyintransitive

To prepare for an attack.figurativelyintransitive

To consume drink or food as an appetizer.figurativelyintransitiveobsolete

An act of sharpening something by rubbing on an object, especially a whetstone.

An occasion to do something; a go, a turn.broadlydialectal

A period of time between two sharpenings of a scythe.broadlydialectal

An item of drink or food consumed as an appetizer or to ward off hunger until a meal; specifically, a small amount of liquor drunk as an appetizer; a dram, a nip.figuratively

• sips, drams, and whets
• To make a nice Whet before Dinner […]

A thing which makes one's desire, interest, etc., more keen; an incitement, an inducement.figuratively

• A really good game, to my mind, must have an element, however slight, of physical danger to the player. This is the great whet to skilled performance.