sharpening

verb

1. (form-of, gerund, participle, present)present participle and gerund of sharpen

noun

1. The act by which something is sharpened.

   “There are flourishes and coloratura passages in this art, heightenings and sharpenings of the line that serve only to give the needy linear system a value of its own in confrontation with nature.”

2. (in-plural)The debris produced when a pencil is sharpened.