# whetstone

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈʍɛtˌstoʊn/ · frequency rank #65,631

## Definitions
1. 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.
2. A stimulant.
3. Alternative letter-case form of Whetstone (“benchmark”).

## Etymology
From Middle English whestone, whetston, whetesston, from Old English hwetstān, from Proto-West Germanic *hwattjastain (“whetstone”). Equivalent to whet (“to sharpen”) + stone.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/whetstone