Hone

Part of speech: noun, verb, interjection

Pronunciation: /hoʊn/

Definitions

1. To sharpen a tool or skill through practice and refinement, or to use a whetstone to make a blade keener
2. To enhance an ability or tool by careful practice or to sharpen a cutting instrument by grinding on a stony surface
3. To refine one's skill through diligent effort and to create a sharper edge on a blade by using a smooth stone

Etymology: The verb "hone" meaning to sharpen a blade or to refine a skill descends from an Old English noun for a whetstone, "hān," a stone used to put an edge on a tool. For centuries the word stayed close to that physical sense: you honed a scythe or a knife, and only later did the same action extend to polishing abilities and talents. The word has a surprising cousin in a much older root. Its ancestor reaches back to a prehistoric sense of "to sharpen," and that same root gave Ancient Greek "kōnos," meaning "cone," since a pointed shape is what sharpening produces. Its distant relative is "knot," a reminder that the ancient meanings of these words have scattered widely across the languages of Europe.

Synonyms: sharpen, whet, edge, refine, perfect

Antonyms: dull, blunt, neglect, impair, worsen