Resharpens

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To make sharp again; to restore the cutting edge of a tool or blade; to renew the clarity or effectiveness of a skill or argument
2. To refine or hone an edge once more; to enhance the precision of an instrument or technique; to improve the strength or sharpness of a point of view
3. To reestablish sharpness in a cutting device; to revitalize the proficiency in a particular area; to amplify the acuity of a statement or action

Etymology: "Resharpens" is the third-person singular present form of "resharpen", so it is simply the verb tense for "he, she or it resharpens". The verb itself is a plain formation: the prefix re-, meaning "again", attached to "sharpen". "Sharpen" comes from "sharp", an Old English adjective, with the suffix -en, which turns adjectives into verbs meaning "to make something of that quality." The prefix re- arrived in English through Old French, which had inherited it from Latin, where it had the same sense of "back" or "again." English has used it freely to build new verbs, so "resharpen" follows the same pattern as "reheat" or "rewrite." Its meaning is literal in the case of a blade or tool: an edge that has dulled is brought back to a keen point. The figurative senses, such as sharpening an argument, grew from that physical sense.

Synonyms: sharpens again, hones, grinds, refines, polishes

Antonyms: dulls, blunts, weakens, coarsens