King James Bible Dictionary

WHET, verb transitive preterit tense and participle passive whetted or whet [G.]

1. To rub for the purpose of sharpening, as an edge tool; to sharpen by attrition; as, to whet a sythe or an ax.

2. To provoke; to excite; to stimulate; as, to whet the appetite.

3. To provoke; to make angry or acrimonious.

Since Cassius first did whet me against Cesar, I have not slept.

To whet on or whet forward, to urge on; to instigate. [Not used nor proper.]

WHET, noun

1. The act of sharpening by friction.

2. Something that provokes or stimulates the appetite; as sips, drams and whets.

WHETHER, pronoun or substitute. [Latin The sense seems to be what, or which of two, referring either to persons or to sentences.]

1. Which of two.

WHETHER of them twain did the will of his father? Matthew 21:31/

Here whether is a substitute for one of two, and signifies which; which of the two; but in this sense it is obsolete.

2. Which of two alternatives, expressed by a sentence or the clause of a sentence, and followed by or. Resolve whether you will go or not; that is, you will go or not go; resolve which.

[Note. IN the latter use, which is now most common, whether is called an adverb. This is a mistake. It is the same part of speech as in the former example. The only difference is that in the former example it represents or refers to a noun, and in the latter to a sentence or clause.]

WHETSTONE-SLATE, WHET-SLATE noun Novaculite or coticular shist, a variety of slate used for sharpening instruments of iron. The light green colored variety from the Levant is the most valuable. It should be kept in a damp place, that it may not become too dry and hard.

WHETSTONE, noun [whet and stone.] A stone used for sharpening edged instruments by friction.

WHETSTONE-SLATE, WHET-SLATE, noun Novaculite or coticular shist, a variety of slate used for sharpening instruments of iron. The light green colored variety from the Levant is the most valuable. It should be kept in a damp place, that it may not become too dry and hard.

WHETTED, participle passive Rubbed for sharpening; sharpened; provoked; stimulated.

WHETTER, noun He or that which whets or sharpens.

WHETTING, participle present tense Rubbing for the purpose of making sharp; sharpening; provoking; inciting; stimulating.