whetstone

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a flat stone or bonded abrasive used to sharpen the edge of a knife or tool

   Huck dropped the whetstone near the spilled meal to support his false trail.

2. 2
   noun

   figurative: something that sharpens, tests, or stimulates the mind or wit

   Debate can serve as a whetstone for critical thought.

From Old English hwetstan, a compound of whet, 'to sharpen,' + stone. The figurative sense compares mental stimulation with honing a blade against an abrasive surface.

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