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hone (1)

hone [ hōn ]

transitive verb (past and past participle honed, present participle hon·ing, 3rd person present singular hones)

Definition:

1. improve something with refinements: to bring something to a state of increased intensity, excellence, or completion, especially over a period of time

honed the speech through rewrites

2. sharpen blade on whetstone: to sharpen a blade on a fine whetstone

noun (plural hones)

Definition:

1. whetstone: a fine-grained sedimentary rock used as a whetstone for sharpening razors and other cutting tools. Emery and silicon carbide products are now largely used instead.

2. machine tool: a tool with a rotating abrasive head, used to bore holes

[ Old English hān "whetstone" < Indo-European, "sharpen"]

hon·er noun

Word Usage


	hone in or home in? Avoid using the incorrect hone in. Hone is a transitive verb meaning "sharpen" (hone a blade) or, in a figurative sense, "perfect or refine" (I honed my ideas before publishing them). It is the verb home, generally intransitive, whose meanings include "return home accurately," that makes sense with the particle in: He homed in on his opponent's weaknesses.