Meaning of the word hone in English

What does hone mean in English? Explore the meaning, pronunciation, and specific usage of this word with Lingoland.

hone

US /hoʊn/

UK /həʊn/

to sharpen (a blade)

Example:

•

He used a whetstone to hone the edge of his knife.

•

The barber carefully honed his razor before shaving.

Synonym:

sharpen whet grind file strop

to refine or perfect (something) over a period of time

Example:

•

She spent years honing her skills as a painter.

•

The team needs to hone their strategy before the big game.

Synonym:

refine perfect improve polish sharpen

a sharpening stone, especially one of fine grain

Example:

•

He kept a small hone in his toolkit for quick touch-ups.

•

The chef always used a fine-grained hone to keep his knives razor-sharp.

Synonym:

whetstone sharpening stone grindstone