Whetst

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An abrasive stone, now archaic, used by rubbing a blade across its surface to make the edge sharper
2. An old term for a block of abrasive stone that tools and knives are ground against to restore a keen edge
3. A rough stone once employed for honing the cutting edge of a knife, axe or scythe through repeated friction

Etymology: Whetstone is a compound of "whet", meaning to sharpen an edge, and "stone". The first part is an Old English verb, "hwettan", which also meant to incite or stir up, and it is related to "quick" in the sense of lively, which is why sharpening and stirring up can share a root. Plain "whet" has a stronger sense of rubbing an edge against something to make it keen, so a whetstone is literally a stone for that job. The compound itself is an ordinary English formation: two Old English words put together to name a tool, which is why its meaning is transparent. The word "whet" shows up across the Germanic languages with the idea of sharpening or keenness, and English kept it mostly in this kind of practical context, where it survives longest.

Synonyms: whetstone, hone