See Also: saw-whet(medicine)
whet(medicine)
Whet(money)
whet(dictionary)
whet(dictionary)

ultima (iou) and whet (iou)


ultima (iou)



ultima noun. E20.
[Latin, fem. of ultimus last.]
Linguistics. The last syllable of a word.
ultima Thule: see THULE 1b.

whet (iou)



whet verb & noun.

A. verb. Infl. -tt-.
verb trans. Sharpen (a tool or weapon) esp. on a stone; (of an animal) sharpen (the teeth, tusks, or beak) in preparation for an attack. OE.
b. verb intrans. Prepare for an attack. Long rare or obsolete. LME.
verb trans. fig. Incite or urge on (to, to do). OE-M18.
verb trans. Stimulate (the appetite or a desire, interest, etc.). Also foll. by up. LME.
R. Travers A vengeful..public, its temper whetted by..sensational journalism. J. London The many books he read but served to whet his appetite.
verb trans. In biblical translations and allusions: inculcate. E16-M17.
verb trans. & intrans. Of a bird: preen (the feathers). Long rare or obsolete. E17.
Phrases: whet one's whistle: see WHISTLE noun 2.
b. noun.
An act of sharpening something, esp. on a stone. Also (now dial.), the interval between two sharpenings; fig. an occasion. E17.
(A small quantity of) something that stimulates one's appetite (lit. & fig.); esp. a dram. L17.
M. A. Lower Should any facts I may state, serve as a whet for the visitor's curiosity. W. Jerdan He..swallowed..oysters as a whet, and proceeded to dine.
whetten verb trans. (long obsolete exc. dial.) whet L16.
whetter noun a person who or thing which whets something (lit. & fig.) LME.