pet

An animal kept as a companion or otherwise for pleasure, rather than for some practical benefit or use.

Adjective

  1. Favourite; cherished; the focus of one's (usually positive) attention.
    • a pet project
    • a pet child
    • The professor seemed offended by the criticism of her pet theory.
  2. Kept or treated as a pet.
    • pet rock
  3. Good; ideal.
    • “Now,” said Hands, “look there; there’s a pet bit for to beach a ship in. Fine flat sand, never a cat's paw, trees all around of it, and flowers a-blowing like a garding on that old ship.” - 1881–1882, Robert Louis...

Origin

Originally northern dialectal, from Scots pet (“an animal that has been tamed and is kept as a pet; a darling or favourite; a petted or spoiled child”), probably from Scottish Gaelic peata (“pet, tamed animal, spoiled child”), from Middle Irish petta, peta (“pet, lap-dog”), of uncertain origin, possibly from a pre-Indo-European substrate. Compare also peat (“pet, darling, woman”), which is likely not related. The verb is derived from the noun.

Derived

pet form pet hate pet name pet peeve pet phrase pet rock

Noun Entry 2

  1. An animal kept as a companion or otherwise for pleasure, rather than for some practical benefit or use.
    • My dog Fido has been a loyal pet for ten years.
    • family pet, pet cat, pet dog, pet store
  2. Something kept as a companion, including inanimate objects.
    • pet plant, pet rock
    • Papyrus: This is my brother's pet rock. He always forgets to feed it. As usual, I have to take responsibility. - 2015 September 15, Toby Fox, Undertale, Linux, Microsoft Windows, OS X:
  3. One who is excessively loyal to a superior and receives preferential treatment.
  4. Any person or animal especially cherished and indulged; a darling.
    • At first she sat silent; but that could not last: she had resolved to make a pet of her little cousin, as she would have him to be; and she commenced stroking his curls, and kissing his cheek, and offering him tea in...
    • the love of cronies, pets, and favourites - 1710 December 31 (Gregorian calendar), Isaac Bickerstaff [et al., pseudonyms; Richard Steele et al.], “Wednesday, December 21, 1710”, in The Tatler, number 266; republished in...

Forms

pets

Synonyms

companion animal

Derived

antipet crazy as a pet coon cyberpet digital pet housepet pelfie petcare pet carrier pet cemetery petcock pet cone pet door pet flap petfluencer petfood pethood pet hotel pet humanization pet insurance petiquette petkeeper petkeeping petkin pet lamp-shade

Noun Entry 3

  1. A fit of petulance, a sulk, arising from the impression that one has been offended or slighted.
    • His genius at this time was of a decidedly gloomy cast. He brought his mother a tragedy, in which, though he killed sixteen people before the second act, it made her laugh so, that he thrust the masterpiece into the...
    • There was something ludicrous, even more, unbecoming a gentleman, in leaving a friend's house in a pet, with the host's reproaches sounding in his ears, to be matched only by the bitterness of the guest's sneering...
    • Buck Mulligan sat down in a sudden pet. - 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 1]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC:

Origin

Clipping of petulance.

Forms

pets

Noun abbreviation, alt of

  1. Abbreviation of petition.

Origin

Clipping of petition.

Forms

pets

Noun Geordie, Ireland

  1. A term of endearment usually applied to women and children.

Origin

Clipping of petal.

Forms

pets

Related

pet coke pet-en-l'air red vet pet

Verb Entry 6

  1. To stroke or fondle (an animal).
    • I really love to pet cute puppies.
  2. To stroke or fondle (another person) amorously.
    • We started petting each other the moment we were alone.
    • 1970-1975, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure We kissed & petted for about 15 mins & he still wasn't hard, altho he acted like he was enjoying...
  3. To keep or treat (an animal) as a pet.
    • Deer are often tamed and petted, and their flesh is so much esteemed by all Malays, that it is very natural they should endeavour to introduce them into the remote islands in which they settled, and whose luxuriant...
  4. To treat (someone) as a pet; to fondle; to indulge.
    • His daughter was petted and spoiled.
    • […] the American dramatist has had to waste most of his first act elaborately planting the information that his Mister Quex is rich, petted by Society, and altogether more spectacular than the common run of men. - 1919...
  5. To be a pet.
  6. To be peevish; to sulk.
    • He sure is queasie stomach't that must pet, and puke, at such a trivial circumstance - 1623, Owen Feltham, Resolves: Divine, Moral, Political:

Forms

pets petting pet petted

Synonyms

pat smooth feel up grope touch up coddle cosset mope pout

Derived

overpet pettable pet the kitty petting

Verb Entry 7

  1. To be petulant or upset; to have a problem with.
    • Got suttin' in the glove compartment and I won't pet to use it - 2019, “Going Through It” (track 6), in Ignorance Is Bliss, performed by Skepta:

Forms

pets petting petted