From Middle English hon (“whetstone”), from Old English hān, from Proto-Germanic *hainō (compare Dutch heen, Norwegian hein), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱeh₃i- (“to sharpen”) (compare Ancient Greek κῶνος (kônos, “cone”), Persian سان (sân, “whetstone”)).
Meanings
A sharpening stone composed of extra-fine grit used for removing the burr or curl from the blade of a razor or some other edge tool.
A machine tool used in the manufacture of precision bores.
From Middle English hon (“whetstone”), from Old English hān, from Proto-Germanic *hainō (compare Dutch heen, Norwegian hein), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱeh₃i- (“to sharpen”) (compare Ancient Greek κῶνος (kônos, “cone”), Persian سان (sân, “whetstone”)).
Meanings
(transitive) To sharpen with a hone; to whet.
(transitive) To use a hone to produce a precision bore.
(transitive) To refine (a skill especially) by learning.
He also honed the procedure known as cut and fill - whereby the spoil from railway cuttings was used to build up embankments. 2023 August 23, David E Norris, “Joseph Locke: a railway injustice...”, in RAIL, number 990, page 56:
Huh? Training in your room under the torchlight / Hone that form to get you ready for the big fight 2011, “Revenge”, CaptainSparklez (lyrics), Doc Exx (music), performed by TryHardNinja, parody of Usher's DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love:
pt esmerar (to refine or master a skill) · it affinare (to refine or master a skill) · it arrotare (to sharpen with a hone) · nl vervolmaken (to refine or master a skill) · ru зата́чивать (to sharpen with a hone) · it affinare (to sharpen with a hone) · sk naostriť (to sharpen with a hone) · mi whakaratarata (to sharpen with a hone) · cs brousit (to sharpen with a hone) · sk zdokonaliť (to refine or master a skill) · fr affuter (to refine or master a skill) · bg наточвам (to make more acute, intense or effective) · km សង្កួត (to sharpen with a hone) · de ziehschleifen (to sharpen with a hone) · pl szlifować (to refine or master a skill) · mi oroi (to sharpen with a hone) · fr perfectionner (to refine or master a skill) · de verfeinern (to make more acute, intense or effective) · cmn 磨 (to sharpen with a hone) · ru отта́чивать (to sharpen with a hone) · fr affûter (to make more acute, intense or effective) · pl udoskonalać (to refine or master a skill) · hu fen (to sharpen with a hone) · ja 研ぎ澄ます (to sharpen with a hone) · pl usprawniać (to refine or master a skill) · sv finslipa (to refine or master a skill) · izh hiuttaa (to sharpen with a hone) · nb hone (to sharpen with a hone) · nl kalibreren (to produce a precision bore with a hone) · sk cizelovať (to refine or master a skill) · da forfine (to make more acute, intense or effective) · izh kirahuttaa (to sharpen with a hone) · es aguzar (to refine or master a skill) · ru хонингова́ть (to produce a precision bore with a hone) · es aguzar (to sharpen with a hone) · fr aiguiser (to make more acute, intense or effective) · ru точи́ть (to sharpen with a hone) · nl verfijnen (to make more acute, intense or effective) · ca esmolar (to refine or master a skill) · he לַחֲרוֹץ (to sharpen with a hone) · pt afiar (to sharpen with a hone) · pl usprawnić (to refine or master a skill) · sv bryna (to sharpen with a hone) · sk nabrúsiť (to sharpen with a hone) · az bülövləmək (to sharpen with a hone) · fr affûter (to sharpen with a hone) · pt aperfeiçoar (to refine or master a skill) · chr ᎬᏟᎭ (to sharpen with a hone) · es subtilizar (to refine or master a skill) · pl zhonować (to produce a precision bore with a hone) · fi hioa (to make more acute, intense or effective) · vi dũa (to sharpen with a hone) · ja 研ぐ (to sharpen with a hone) · es aguzar (to make more acute, intense or effective) · de honen (to sharpen with a hone) · cs naostřit (to sharpen with a hone) · fi liipata (to sharpen with a hone) · fi hioa (to refine or master a skill) · it molare (to sharpen with a hone) · enm whetten (to sharpen with a hone) · cs pilovat (to refine or master a skill) · da skærpe (to sharpen with a hone) · tr bilemek (to sharpen with a hone) · pl ostrzyć (to sharpen with a hone) · de ausschleifen (to refine or master a skill) · es amolar (to sharpen with a hone) · fr affiner (to refine or master a skill) · pl udoskonalić (to refine or master a skill) · id mengasah (to refine or master a skill) · de feinschleifen (to sharpen with a hone) · ca esmolar (to sharpen with a hone) · da finslibe (to refine or master a skill) · sk vybrúsiť (to sharpen with a hone) · ru отта́чивать (to refine or master a skill) · nl scherp maken (to sharpen with a hone) · da kalibrere (to produce a precision bore with a hone) · vi mài (to sharpen with a hone) · bg точа (to sharpen with a hone) · fr aiguiser (to sharpen with a hone) · pl szlifować (to make more acute, intense or effective) · sv slipa (to sharpen with a hone) · sv skärpa (to sharpen with a hone) · eo akrigi (to sharpen with a hone) · nl aanzetten (to sharpen with a hone) · es agudizar (to refine or master a skill) · es sutilizar (to refine or master a skill) · pl ostrzyć (to make more acute, intense or effective) · es agudizar (to make more acute, intense or effective) · de ausfeilen (to refine or master a skill) · sk vycibriť (to refine or master a skill) · cmn 礪 /砺 (to sharpen with a hone) · pt amolar (to sharpen with a hone) · fi hoonata (to produce a precision bore with a hone) · nl slijpen (to sharpen with a hone) · pl naostrzyć (to sharpen with a hone) · cs vybrousit (to refine or master a skill) · pt esmerar (to make more acute, intense or effective) · yi שלײַפֿן (to sharpen with a hone) · fi laahia (to produce a precision bore with a hone) · cs ostřit (to sharpen with a hone) · sv finputsa (to refine or master a skill) · pl doskonalić (to refine or master a skill) · cs nabrousit (to sharpen with a hone) · pl honować (to produce a precision bore with a hone) · sv hena (to produce a precision bore with a hone) · nl vervolledigen (to refine or master a skill) · it affilare (to sharpen with a hone)
French hogner (“to grumble”), which could be a cross of honnir (“to disgrace, shame”) and grogner (“to grunt”).
Meanings
(Southern-US, UK, US, dialectal, intransitive) To grumble.
Such tunges ſhuld be torne out by the harde rootes, c. 1515–1516, published 1568, John Skelton, Againſt venemous tongues enpoyſoned with ſclaunder and falſe detractions &c.
(Southern-US, UK, US, dialectal) To pine, lament, or long.
He lies pitying himself, honing and moaning to himself 1823, Elia [pseudonym; Charles Lamb], Elia. Essays which have Appeared under that Signature in The London Magazine, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC:
Oh, hone! oh, hone! miserable wretch that I am! Do ye mak confession for me, Sir, and I'll say 't after you, as weel as I dow. Oh, hone! oh, hone! 1836, Joanna Baillie, Witchcraft, Act 4, page 141