whetten

English

Etymology

From whet (past participle) +‎ -en.

Verb

whetten (third-person singular simple present whettens, present participle whettening, simple past and past participle whettened)

  1. (transitive, rare) To whet.

Anagrams

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Old English hwettan, from Proto-West Germanic *hwattjan, from Proto-Germanic *hwatjaną.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈhwɛtən/

Verb

whetten (third-person singular simple present whetteth, present participle whettende, whettynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle whetted)

  1. To sharpen; to make sharp, especially with a whetstone.
  2. To sharpen one's claws or tusks; to prepare for attack.
  3. To motivate; to encourage or cause eagerness.
  4. (rare) To stimulate or increase endurance.
  5. (rare) To growl or groan; to make hostile noises.
  6. (rare, of the teeth or feet) To grind against something.

Conjugation

Conjugation of whetten (weak in -ed/-te)
infinitive (to) whetten, whette
present tense past tense
1st-person singular whette whetted, whette
2nd-person singular whettest whettedest, whettest
3rd-person singular whetteth whetted, whette
subjunctive singular whette
imperative singular —
plural1 whetten, whette whetteden, whettede, whetten, whette
imperative plural whetteth, whette —
participles whettynge, whettende whetted, whet, ywhetted, ywhet

1 Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Derived terms

Descendants

  • English: whet
  • Scots: what
  • Yola: what

References

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