whetted

English

Pronunciation

• Homophones: wetted

Adjective

whetted (not comparable)

1. Having undergone the process of whetting; sharpened or honed.
   • 1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 46:

     Then Beowulf too rallied. With his whetted dagger he slit a gash in the serpent's middle.

2. (technology) (of a surface) exposed to a working fluid.

   The inside of a valve has whetted parts constructed of corrosion-resistant material.

Usage notes

The fluid can be wet or dry, liquid or gas, as opposed to wetted, which applies almost exclusively to liquid and most commonly to water.

Verb

whetted

1. simple past and past participle of whet