hone

1 of 3

verb (1)

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 timingPatricia Bosworth
honer noun

hone

2 of 3

noun

hone

3 of 3

verb (2)

honed; honing

intransitive verb

1
dialect : yearn
often used with for or after
2
dialect : grumble, moan

Examples of hone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
As a three year member of our Comedy Sportz improv team, Chris has honed his performance and improvisational skills. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 Jenny encouraged her sister to move out to L.A. to hone her craft, though having a famous sibling didn’t often help her. Francesca Gariano, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hone 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb (1)

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

Verb (2)

Middle French hoigner to grumble

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hone was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near hone

Cite this Entry

“Hone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hone. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hone

verb
ˈhōn
honed; honing
1
: to sharpen with or as if with a fine abrasive stone
2
: to make more intense or effective
top athletes honing their skills

More from Merriam-Webster on hone

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