pet
Forms
- Plural
- pets
- present (v1)
- pet
- past (v2)
- pet
- past participle (v3)
- petted
- present participle
- petting
- 3rd person singular
- pets
Definitions
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.
2.Something kept as a companion, including inanimate objects.
- Papyrus: This is my brother's pet rock. He always forgets to feed it. As usual, I have to take responsibility.
3.One who is excessively loyal to a superior and receives preferential treatment.
- You shouldn't keep a wild animal as a pet.
- I've always wanted a pet.
4.Any person or animal especially cherished and indulged; a darling.
- You shouldn't keep a wild animal as a pet.
- I've always wanted a pet.
1.To stroke or fondle (an animal).
- I really love to pet cute puppies.
2.To stroke or fondle (another person) amorously.(informal)
- We started petting each other the moment we were alone.
1.Favourite; cherished; the focus of one's (usually positive) attention.
- The professor seemed offended by the criticism of her pet theory.
- But these digital currencies[…] have now become a pet project of the US administration and a hot topic in corporate boardrooms.
- Major Butler has a pet grievance and a pet aversion, which he forces on the reader in every chapter, and which becomes at last very wearisome.
2.Kept or treated as a pet.
Frequency
Overall
Uncommon· #2968
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Uncommon
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
Synonyms
Etymology
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.