sharpen

Everyday

1. To sharpen something is to make its edge or point sharper, like sharpening a pencil or a knife. tree →
2. To sharpen a skill is to make it better by practice. tree →
3. When a picture, sound or feeling sharpens, it becomes clearer or stronger. tree →

In the lessons

At school children sharpen pencils with a sharpener; in the kitchen adults sharpen knives (a safety job for grown-ups). Teachers say «sharpen your maths skills» or «sharpen your mind». Phrases: «sharpen a pencil», «sharpen up», «pencil sharpener».

Examples

• Please sharpen your pencil before the test. tree →
• Dad sharpens the kitchen knives on a stone. tree →
• Practising every day will sharpen your spelling. tree →
• The eagle's eyes are sharp; it doesn't need to sharpen them! tree →
• The picture sharpened when I turned the lens. tree →
• I need to sharpen my coloured pencils. tree →
• Quiz games help sharpen your memory. tree →
• The beaver sharpened the end of the stick with its teeth. tree →
• Then he sat down and began sharpening his knife again. tree →

Note

Regular verb: past «sharpened». It comes from sharp + -en, which means «make more». The tool is a «sharpener». Safety: only adults should sharpen knives, and a sharpened knife cuts more easily, so handle it with care.

In Jewish tradition

Here the Israelites had to go down to Philistine smiths to sharpen their farm tools, because the Philistines allowed no smiths in Israel.

Interpretation. Tradition sees this as a sign of how completely Israel was under Philistine control before Saul and David.

Examples

• but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his plowshare, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. (Prophets 1SA.13.20, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Regular verb: past «sharpened». It comes from sharp + -en, which means «make more». The tool is a «sharpener». Safety: only adults should sharpen knives, and a sharpened knife cuts more easily, so handle it with care.