whet
Other forms: whetted; whetting; whets
To whet is to sharpen. You could whet a knife's blade with a whetstone, or you could whet your appetite by having a small salad before dinner.
The verb whet can mean "to stimulate or make more acute," and the word is often used in the phrase "whet [your] appetite," which works both literally and figuratively. You could serve light appetizers to whet a guest's appetite for dinner, or give an actor a small part to whet their appetite for a bigger role. In fact, you can whet any desire or sense — such as curiosity, interest, or ambition.
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sharpen by rubbing, as on a whetstonetype of:sharpenmake sharp or sharper
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make keen or more acute
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Vocabulary lists containing whet
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Santiago is a young Andalusian shepherd whose desire for a different life leads him on a journey of self-discovery. 2004 HarperOne edition.