hone

verb \ ˈhōn \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Definition of hone

honed; honing

transitive verb

1 : to sharpen or smooth with a whetstone

2 : to make more acute, intense, or effective : whet

helped her hone her comic timing
—Patricia Bosworth

—

honer

noun

Recent Examples of hone from the Web

By 10 to 12 months old, Pérez says the cubs will be moved to an 80-acre pen to hone their hunting skills.

— elaina zachos, National Geographic, "These Are the First Jaguars Born in This Argentinian Wetland in Over a Century," 11 June 2018
While this study is promising, more work needs to be done to hone the blood test's ability to detect specific cancers, said ASCO President Dr. Bruce Johnson.

— dennis thompson, chicagotribune.com, "Blood test shows promise in detecting lung cancer," 5 June 2018
The former Washington Huskies star has learned to hone his athleticism into a versatile role on this Panthers defense, slotting in at linebacker, safety and nickel packages when needed.

— brendan marks, charlotteobserver, "Dealing with Thomas Davis’ suspension? Panthers LB Shaq Thompson has a plan," 4 June 2018
There is no time to hone his stroke or find his rhythm.

— lee jenkins, SI.com, "Is There Still Time for Rodney Hood to Rediscover His Form for Cavs?," 2 June 2018
The former Grand Theater could host musicians and other performers who need to hone their talent, said Anderson, who leads the band Foreign Goods and operates Voodoo Honey Records.

— tom daykin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Artists hope Milwaukee's Grand Theater can be revived as performance venue," 18 May 2018
Members of Ballet Apetrei, St. Tammany's only pre-professional non-profit ballet company, attended the festival to hone their skills, perform for their peers and seek dance scholarships.

— sarah bonnette, NOLA.com, "Artscape: Wealth of young artistic talent on display on the north shore," 16 May 2018
Agnesi was interested in calculus as an intellectual pursuit for its own sake, a way to hone the logical faculties.

— evelyn lamb, Smithsonian, "The 18th-Century Lady Mathematician Who Loved Calculus and God," 16 May 2018
Every black man should get a young white girl hoe to hone up on ...

— david j. krajicek, Sun-Sentinel.com, "'Incel' killers: Man who gunned down three women in 2009 set tone for 'involuntary celibate' mass murderers," 6 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of hone

see ²hone

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1788

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Hardware Terms

adze, auger, awl, chock, ferrule, punch, tang

hone

noun

Definition of hone

: whetstone

Origin and Etymology of hone

Middle English, from Old English hān stone; akin to Old Norse hein whetstone, Latin cot-, cos, Sanskrit śiśāti he whets

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

hone

verb

Definition of hone

honed; honing

intransitive verb

1 dialect : yearn —often used with for or after

2 dialect : grumble, moan

Recent Examples of hone from the Web

Woods is unlikely to attend UT, but Holland and Madden may still opt to spend time honing their skills in college.

— nick moyle, Houston Chronicle, "Five Longhorns selected in 2018 MLB Draft," 6 June 2018
Whatever the case, a couple of opportunities are coming up to hone your craft.

— michelle jenkins, idahostatesman, "Fore! Heads up on charity golf tournaments across the Valley," 31 May 2018
In the meantime, Miles will continue to hone his craft as an actor.

— brody miller, NOLA.com, "Antoine Duplantis has been LSU baseball's rock his whole college career," 31 May 2018
Someone with Instagram-flawless contouring might have honed her craft using the finest from the drugstore aisles, and the utterly makeup-free type might be spending thousands on laser treatments or face serums.

— whitney middleton, Glamour, "I Spend $2,000 a Year Dyeing My Hair Blue," 30 May 2018
With harmonious vocals and captivating dance moves from members who have spent the past ten years honing their talent, SHINee's live shows are something to witness in person at least once in a lifetime.

— tamar herman, Billboard, "10 Things to Know About SHINee in Celebration of Their 10th Anniversary," 25 May 2018
What does this say to kids who spent months honing their skills if anyone can join?

— spencer whitney, San Francisco Chronicle, "Last Word: Don’t cheer for participation trophies," 19 May 2018
With no one but herself as a teacher, Circe toils at honing her craft, absorbed in the complex and ever-shifting challenge of it.

— laura collins-hughes, BostonGlobe.com, "It’s a man’s world — even in the myths," 20 Apr. 2018
Every star athlete has a coach to help hone their physical performance.

— ryan howes, SELF, "Why It's a Huge Deal When Male Athletes Like Kevin Love Talk About Therapy," 27 Mar. 2018

Origin and Etymology of hone

Middle French hoigner to grumble

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Dialect Terms

bespoke, boughten, lave, muchacho, nigh, spunk, thunk, toboggan

HONE Defined for Kids

hone

verb \ ˈhōn \

Definition of hone for Students

honed; honing

: to sharpen with or as if with a fine abrasive stone

Learn More about hone

See words that rhyme with hone Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hone Spanish Central: Translation of hone Nglish: Translation of hone for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of hone for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up hone? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

hone

Definition of hone

honer

Recent Examples of hone from the Web

Origin and Etymology of hone

Other Hardware Terms

hone

Definition of hone

Origin and Etymology of hone

hone

Definition of hone

Recent Examples of hone from the Web

Origin and Etymology of hone

Other Dialect Terms

Phrases Related to HONE

Related Phrases

HONE Defined for Kids

hone

Definition of hone for Students

Learn More about hone

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Can You Use 'Comprised of'?

Trending: DOJ Describes Comey as 'Insubordinate'

Name More Food!

9 Words for Transnational Currencies

Ghost Word