pet
Plural: pets
Noun
- a domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement
- a special loved one
- a fit of petulance or sulkiness (especially at what is felt to be a slight)
- using a computerized radiographic technique to examine the metabolic activity in various tissues (especially in the brain)
- An animal kept as a companion.
- Something kept as a companion, including inanimate objects (pet rock, pet plant, etc.).
- One who is excessively loyal to a superior and receives preferential treatment.
- Any person or animal especially cherished and indulged; a darling.
- A fit of petulance, a sulk, arising from the impression that one has been offended or slighted.
- Abbreviation of petition.
- A term of endearment usually applied to women and children.
Verb
Verb Forms: petted, petting, pets
- To stroke or caress gently with the hand.
- stroke or caress gently
- "pet the lamb"
- stroke or caress in an erotic manner, as during lovemaking
- To stroke or fondle (an animal).
- To stroke or fondle (another person) amorously.
- To treat as a pet; to fondle; to indulge.
- To be a pet.
- To be peevish; to sulk.
- To be petulant or upset; to have a problem with.
Adjective Satellite
- preferred above all others and treated with partiality
Adj
- Favourite; cherished; the focus of one's (usually positive) attention.
- Kept or treated as a pet.
- Good; ideal.
Examples
- a pet child
- a pet project
- His daughter was petted and spoiled.
- I really love to pet cute puppies.
- pet rock
- Sometimes you just need to PET a good strategy, not rush into a risky play.
- The professor seemed offended by the criticism of her pet theory.
- We started petting each other the moment we were alone.
Origin / Etymology
Attested since the 1500s in the sense "indulged child" and since the 1530s in the sense "animal companion". From Scots and dialectal Northern English, of unclear origin. Perhaps a back-formation of petty, pety (“little, small”), a term formerly used to describe children and animals (e.g. pet lambs). Alternatively, perhaps a borrowing of Scottish Gaelic peata, from Middle Irish petta, peta (“pet, lap-dog”), of uncertain (possibly pre-Indo-European substrate) origin. Compare peat (“pet, darling, woman”).
The verb is derived from the noun.
Synonyms
best-loved, darling, dearie, deary, ducky, favored, favorite, favourite, positron emission tomography, preferent, preferred, coddle, companion animal, cosset, feel up, fondle, grope, mope, pamper, pat, pout, smooth, touch up
Scrabble Score: 5
pet: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordpet: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
pet: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary