whetstone en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- [ˈwɛʔˌstoʊn] (US)
- /ˈʍɛtˌstoʊn/ (US)
- /wɛtstəʊn/ (England)
- (US) audio wine-whine
- [ˈʍɛʔˌstoʊn] (US)
- /ˈʍɛtˌston/ (Scotland)
- (US) audio non-wine-whine
- /ˈwɛtˌstoʊn/ (US)
Etymology
From Middle English whestone, whetston, whetesston, from Old English hwetstān, from Proto-West Germanic *hwattjastain (“whetstone”). Equivalent to whet (“to sharpen”) + stone.
Meanings
-
A sharpening stone; a hard stone or piece of synthetically bonded hard minerals that has been formed with at least one flat surface, used to sharpen or hone an edged tool.
[…]for alwaies the dulneſſe of the foole, is the whetstone of the wits.
c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 186, column 2, line 192:It was as if a stone were ground to dust; as if white sparks flew from a livid whetstone, which was his spine; as if the switchback railway, having swooped to the depths, fell, fell, fell.
1922 October 26, Virginia Woolf, Jacob’s Room, Richmond, London: […] Leonard & Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, →OCLC; republished London: The Hogarth Press, 1960, →OCLC:
- (figuratively) A stimulant.
-
(alt-of) Alternative letter-case form of Whetstone (“benchmark”).
alt of Whetstone
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| whetstones | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
grindstone · grinding wheel · holystone
Hypernyms
Synonyms
Translations (116)
mn билүү (stone used to hone tools) · sq gashtë (stone used to hone tools) · tl bugaan (stone used to hone tools) · ki inooro (stone used to hone tools) · sco whatstane (stone used to hone tools) · io akutigilo (stone used to hone tools) · uk брус (stone used to hone tools) · sv hen (stone used to hone tools) · alt билӱ (stone used to hone tools) · gl moa (stone used to hone tools) · ltg streičs (stone used to hone tools) · ms batu pengasah (stone used to hone tools) · es piedra de afilar (stone used to hone tools) · fa فسان (stone used to hone tools) · bg точило (stone used to hone tools) · cmn 磨石 (stone used to hone tools) · kmr hesan (stone used to hone tools) · sdh ھەسان (stone used to hone tools) · ang hwetstān (stone used to hone tools) · cy agalen (stone used to hone tools) · sh brus (stone used to hone tools) · ca pedra esmoladora (stone used to hone tools) · da slibesten (stone used to hone tools) · gl pedra de afiar (stone used to hone tools) · sv slipsten (stone used to hone tools) · nb bryne (stone used to hone tools) · non hein (stone used to hone tools) · es piedra para afilar (stone used to hone tools) · lb Schläifsteen (stone used to hone tools) · enm wheston (stone used to hone tools) · ar مِجْلَخَة (stone used to hone tools) · pdt Watsteen (stone used to hone tools) · be асялок (stone used to hone tools) · hu kaszakő (stone used to hone tools) · fr aiguisoir (stone used to hone tools) · vi đá mài (stone used to hone tools) · grc ἀκόνη (stone used to hone tools) · lv galoda (stone used to hone tools) · eo akrigilo (stone used to hone tools) · rmn asan (stone used to hone tools) · pl osełka (stone used to hone tools) · rmn beledǐn (stone used to hone tools) · lld chëut (stone used to hone tools) · xal бүлү (stone used to hone tools) · th หินลับมีด (stone used to hone tools) · mk точило (stone used to hone tools) · cs brousek (stone used to hone tools) · mi tūāhōanga (stone used to hone tools) · gd clach-ghleusaidh (stone used to hone tools) · ru осело́к (stone used to hone tools) · pox våslă (stone used to hone tools) · ru брус (stone used to hone tools) · ckb ھەسان (stone used to hone tools) · km ថ្មសំលៀងកាំបិត (stone used to hone tools) · de Abziehstein (stone used to hone tools) · lt pustyklė (stone used to hone tools) · cmn 磨刀石 (stone used to hone tools) · grc θηγάνη (stone used to hone tools) · nl slijpsteen (stone used to hone tools) · sh брус (stone used to hone tools) · de Wetzstein (stone used to hone tools) · tl hasaan (stone used to hone tools) · es piedra de amolar (stone used to hone tools) · el ακόνι (stone used to hone tools) · uk осла́ (stone used to hone tools) · tr bileği taşı (stone used to hone tools) · ar مِسَنّ (stone used to hone tools) · ota بلگو (stone used to hone tools) · ja 砥石 (stone used to hone tools) · mi hōanga (stone used to hone tools) · crh bilev (stone used to hone tools) · fa سان (stone used to hone tools) · ar مِشْحَذ (stone used to hone tools) · fi kovasin (stone used to hone tools) · sv brynsten (stone used to hone tools) · he אבן משחזת (stone used to hone tools) · it cote (stone used to hone tools) · pdt Schliepsteen (nds) (stone used to hone tools) · id batu asah (stone used to hone tools) · he אבן השאה (stone used to hone tools) · fa افسان (stone used to hone tools) · sq grihë (stone used to hone tools) · hy հեսան (stone used to hone tools) · ca pedra d'esmolar (stone used to hone tools) · bg брус (stone used to hone tools) · fr pierre à aiguiser (stone used to hone tools) · ro gresie (stone used to hone tools) · ruq cuti (stone used to hone tools) · ru точи́льный ка́мень (stone used to hone tools) · fi hiomakivi (stone used to hone tools) · pzh zazupayen (stone used to hone tools) · hu fenőkő (stone used to hone tools) · lv tecīla (stone used to hone tools) · sv bryne (stone used to hone tools) · nv tsé béésh bee daakʼaashígíí (stone used to hone tools) · nrf affileuse (stone used to hone tools) · rmn tros (stone used to hone tools) · lt tekėlas (stone used to hone tools) · pt mó (stone used to hone tools) · de Schleifstein (stone used to hone tools) · dsb brus (stone used to hone tools) · ja 磨石 (stone used to hone tools) · lt galąstuvas (stone used to hone tools) · mn хайлга (stone used to hone tools) · ru точи́ло (stone used to hone tools) · tl kamanga (stone used to hone tools) · izh luiska (stone used to hone tools) · es piedra amoladera (stone used to hone tools) · hac ھەسان (stone used to hone tools) · ro cute (stone used to hone tools) · sw suguo (stone used to hone tools) · la cōs (stone used to hone tools) · id batu las (stone used to hone tools) · ko 숫돌 (stone used to hone tools) · nn bryne (stone used to hone tools) · hu köszörűkő (stone used to hone tools)