Word of the Day: Hone
hone
hone / hōn
noun
1. a fine whetstone used to sharpen cutting tools
The knife should be sharpened from time to time on the stone or hone.
From “The Book of Sports” by William Martin. 1950 –
2. a tool used to enlarge holes to an exact dimension
In the automotive industry, for example, cylinder hones are often utilised for creating an effective surface finish on engine cylinders.
From “A finer finish for flat surfaces”, ‘Production Engineering Solutions’, www.pesmedia.com/a-finer-finish-for-flat-surfaces/, November 8, 2018
verb
1. to sharpen or polish with a whetstone
He worked much as a barber does who hones a razor, and with every evidence of similar practice; but his proficiency was the result of years of painstaking effort.
From ‘Jungle Tales of Tarzan’ by Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1875 – 1950
2. to perfect or to make more effective or intense
Discover your strengths and then hone them and be who you are meant to be.
Liz Marshall, 1969 –
3. to yearn or long for
There are a lot of lawyers and things in this town just honing for something dignified and stable.
From “Gold” by Stewart White, 1873 – 1946
4. archaic, to moan or grieve; to grumble
Och hone! And Och hone! It becomes me to moan –
O Patrick! Dear Patrick! you’re gone!
From “The Deserter’s Sweetheart”, The Paisley Magazine, 1828
etymology
From the Anglo-Saxon word han (stone) as the noun meaning a “sharpening stone” and the verb meaning “sharpen;” from the French verb hogner as the verb meaning “grumble,” “lament,” “yearn.”
Thank you to Allen Ward for providing us with this etymology.
