sharpener

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   a small tool or device used to give a pencil a fine point.

   Grammar: Usually appears as pencil sharpener: a pencil sharpener, but a sharpener alone is understood in school settings.

   Patterns

   • a pencil sharpener
   • sharpener for something

   I need a sharpener because my pencil has gone blunt.

   The teacher keeps a small metal sharpener on her desk.

   He dropped the plastic sharpener and lost the blade.

2. 2nouncountable

   a tool or machine that gives a cutting edge to a knife, scissors or blade.

   Grammar: Usually has a modifier: a knife sharpener, a blade sharpener.

   Patterns

   • a knife sharpener
   • sharpen something with a sharpener

   The chef ran the knife across the sharpener a few times.

   An electric sharpener makes quick work of dull kitchen blades.

   She keeps a sharpener in the garden shed for her tools.

Word forms

Common combinations

pencil sharpener

The pencil sharpener jammed again this morning.

knife sharpener

A good knife sharpener keeps your kitchen safe.

electric sharpener

The office bought an electric sharpener.

manual sharpener

A manual sharpener fits easily in a pencil case.

use a sharpener

Use a sharpener rather than a knife for pencils.

Synonyms and how they differ

whetstone

A whetstone is a stone used for sharpening blades only, while sharpener also covers pencil tools.

grinder

A grinder is a powered machine that removes metal, and it is rougher than a household sharpener.

honing steel

A honing steel is a rod that realigns a knife edge, a narrower tool than a general sharpener.

Word family

sharp adjective

having a fine edge or point

sharpen verb

to make sharp

sharpness noun

the quality of being sharp

sharply adverb

in a sudden or severe way

Commonly confused: sharpener or sharper?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “sharpener”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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