• (America) IPA: /hoʊn/
• (RP) IPA: /həʊn/

From Middle English hon, from Old English hān, from Proto-Germanic *hainō (compare Dutch heen, Norwegian hein), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱeh₃i- (compare Ancient Greek κῶνος, Persian سان).

hone (plural hones)

1. A sharpening stone composed of extra-fine grit used for removing the burr or curl from the blade of a razor or some other edge tool.
2. A machine tool used in the manufacture of precision bores.

• French: pierre à aiguiser
• German: Schleifstein, Wetzstein
• Italian: mola, cote
• Portuguese: mó, afiadeira
• Russian: осело́к
• Spanish: asperón, afiladera, aguzadera, amoladera, muela

• Russian: хон

hone (hones, present participle honing; simple past and past participle honed)

1. (transitive) To sharpen with a hone; to whet.
2. (transitive) To use a hone to produce a precision bore.
3. (transitive) To refine or master (a skill).
4. To make more acute, intense, or effective.

• French: aiguiser
• German: honen, feinschleifen, ziehschleifen
• Italian: affilare, molare, arrotare, affinare
• Portuguese: amolar, afiar
• Russian: отта́чивать
• Spanish: afilar, aguzar, amolar

• Russian: хонингова́ть

• French: perfectionner, affiner, affuter
• German: ausfeilen, ausschleifen
• Italian: affinare
• Portuguese: esmerar, aperfeiçoar
• Russian: отта́чивать
• Spanish: perfeccionar

• Portuguese: esmerar

Cognate with Icelandic hnúður. Distantly related to knot.

hone (plural hones)

1. A kind of swelling in the cheek.

hone (hones, present participle honing; simple past and past participle honed)

1. (UK, US, southern US, dialect, intransitive) To grumble.
   • c. 1515–1516, published 1568, John Skelton, Againſt venemous tongues enpoyſoned with ſclaunder and falſe detractions &c.:

     Such tunges ſhuld be torne out by the harde rootes,
     Hoyning like hogges that groynis and wrotes.

2. (UK, US, southern US, dialect) To pine, lament, or long.
   • 1823, Elia [pseudonym; Charles Lamb], Elia. Essays which have Appeared under that Signature in The London Magazine, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC ↗:

     He lies pitying himself, honing and moaning to himself

1. Synonym of alas Used to express sorrow, or grief
   • 1836, Joanna Baillie, Witchcraft, Act 4, page 141

     Oh, hone! oh, hone! miserable wretch that I am! Do ye mak confession for me, Sir, and I'll say 't after you, as weel as I dow. Oh, hone! oh, hone!

1. Surname.