n. (Zool.) A small North American owl (Nyctale Acadica), destitute of ear tufts and having feathered toes; -- called also Acadian owl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) Wilson's thrush; -- so called from its note. [ Local, U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Whetted; p. pr. & vb. n. Whetting. ] [ AS. hwettan; akin to D. wetten, G. wetzen, OHG. wezzen, Icel. hvetja, Sw. vättja, and AS. hwæt vigorous, brave, OS. hwat, OHG. waz, was, sharp, Icel. hvatr, bold, active, Sw. hvass sharp, Dan. hvas, Goth. hwassaba sharply, and probably to Skr. cud to impel, urge on. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To rub or on with some substance, as a piece of stone, for the purpose of sharpening; to sharpen by attrition; as, to whet a knife. [ 1913 Webster ]

The mower whets his scythe. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Here roams the wolf, the eagle whets his beak. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make sharp, keen, or eager; to excite; to stimulate; as, to whet the appetite or the courage. [ 1913 Webster ]

Since Cassius first did whet me against Caesar,
I have not slept. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To whet on,
To whet forward, to urge on or forward; to instigate. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of whetting. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which whets or sharpens; esp., an appetizer. “Sips, drams, and whets.” Spectator. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whet slate (Min.), a variety of slate used for sharpening cutting instruments; novaculite; -- called also whetstone slate, and oilstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

pron. [ OE. whether, AS. hwæ&unr_;er; akin to OS. hwe&unr_;ar, OFries. hweder, OHG. hwedar, wedar, G. weder, conj., neither, Icel. hvārr whether, Goth. hwa&unr_;ar, Lith. katras, L. uter, Gr. &unr_;, &unr_;, Skr. katara, from the interrogatively pronoun, in AS. hwā who. &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;&unr_;. See Who, and cf. Either, Neither, Or, conj. ] Which (of two); which one (of two); -- used interrogatively and relatively. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Now choose yourself whether that you liketh. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

One day in doubt I cast for to compare
Whether in beauties' glory did exceed. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whether of them twain did the will of his father? Matt. xxi. 31. [ 1913 Webster ]

conj. In case; if; -- used to introduce the first or two or more alternative clauses, the other or others being connected by or, or by or whether. When the second of two alternatives is the simple negative of the first it is sometimes only indicated by the particle not or no after the correlative, and sometimes it is omitted entirely as being distinctly implied in the whether of the first. [ 1913 Webster ]

And now who knows
But you, Lorenzo, whether I am yours? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

You have said; but whether wisely or no, let the forest judge. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. Rom. xiv. 8. [ 1913 Webster ]

But whether thus these things, or whether not;
Whether the sun, predominant in heaven,
Rise on the earth, or earth rise on the sun, . . .
Solicit not thy thoughts with matters hid. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whether or no, in either case; in any case; as, I will go whether or no. --
Whether that, whether. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The retention of the afterbirth in cows. Gardner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Whitile. ] (Zool.) The green woodpecker, or yaffle. See Yaffle. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. hwetstān. ] A piece of stone, natural or artificial, used for whetting, or sharpening, edge tools. [ 1913 Webster ]

The dullness of the fools is the whetstone of the wits. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Diligence is to the understanding as the whetstone to the razor. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Some whetstones are used dry, others are moistened with water, or lubricated with oil. [ 1913 Webster ]

To give the whetstone, to give a premium for extravagance in falsehood. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. One who, or that which, whets, sharpens, or stimulates. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A tippler; one who drinks whets. [ Obs. ] Steele. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. The vertebrae of the back. [ Prov. Eng. ] Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]