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pet

¹

[ pet ]

/ pɛt /

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See synonyms for pet on Thesaurus.com

noun

any domesticated or tamed animal that is kept as a companion and cared for affectionately.

a person especially cherished or indulged; favorite: He was the teacher's pet.

a thing particularly cherished.

adjective

kept or treated as a pet: a pet lamb.

especially cherished or indulged, as a child or other person.

favorite; most preferred: a pet theory.

showing fondness or affection: to address someone with pet words.

verb (used with object), pet·ted, pet·ting.

to fondle or caress: to pet a dog.

to treat as a pet; indulge.

verb (used without object), pet·ted, pet·ting.

Informal. to engage in kissing, caressing, and other sexual activity with one’s partner, but not sexual intercourse.

OTHER WORDS FOR pet

9 baby, humor, pamper, favor.

See synonyms for pet on Thesaurus.com

VIDEO FOR PET

For The Love Of Pets: These Quotes Are Pretty Purrfect

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QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of pet

¹

First recorded in 1500–10; perhaps back formation from pet lamb. shortened variant of petty lamb “little lamb”; see petty

OTHER WORDS FROM pet

pet·ta·ble, adjective

Words nearby pet

pestilent, pestilential, pestle, pesto, pesty, pet, peta-, petabyte, Petach Tikva, petahertz, Pétain

Other definitions for pet (2 of 5)

pet²

[ pet ]

/ pɛt /

noun

a fit of peevishness, sulking, or bad mood.

verb (used without object)

to be peevish; sulk.

Origin of pet

²

First recorded in 1590–1600; origin uncertain; cf. pettish

Other definitions for pet (3 of 5)

PET

[ pet ]

/ pɛt /

noun Computers, Medicine/Medical.

positron emission tomography.

Origin of PET

First recorded in 1975–80

Other definitions for pet (4 of 5)

pet.

abbreviation

petroleum.

Other definitions for pet (5 of 5)

Pet.

abbreviation

Peter.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT PET

What does pet mean?

A pet is any animal that is tamed and trained to be kept as a companion, such as a dog or a bird.

To pet means to stroke or rub an animal’s fur or body in a cherished way.

A pet can also be a person or object that someone cherishes or indulges.

Finally, pet can describe something that is cherished, such as a pet theory.

Example: She is so extravagant that she has a big birthday party for her pet dog every year.

Where does pet come from?

The first records of the term pet come from the early 1500s. It most likely comes from the phrase petty lamb, meaning “little lamb.”

While having a pet dog might be nice, when someone calls you the teacher’s pet, they are saying you became the teacher’s favorite student in order to get special treatment. And while pet words can make language more fun, pet theories can lead to trouble if we don’t look at evidence against our theory closely enough. Looking at facts on both sides of an argument is the best way to prevent our favorite theories from making pets of us.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to pet?

petable (adjective)

What are some synonyms for pet?

What are some words that share a root or word element with pet?

What are some words that often get used in discussing pet?

How is pet used in real life?

Pets are usually cherished and treated even better than humans in some cases.

I hope you all get to pet a dog today

— WeRateDogs® (@dog_rates) March 3, 2017

I want a pet tree frog 🐸

— Nash Grier (@Nashgrier) August 19, 2014

Feeling like a right teacher's pet as you proudly present your train ticket to the inspector

— VeryBritishProblems (@SoVeryBritish) June 2, 2016

Try using pet!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for pet?

A. cherished
B. disliked
C. loved
D. prefered

How to use pet in a sentence

Last week, you were building a large pen for your pet hamster.
Can You Cover The Globe?|Zach Wissner-Gross|August 28, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Leaving behind pets can also seem like an insurmountable hurdle for others, and though legally shelters are supposed to provide care for pets, not all actually do.
Hurricane Laura is the strongest storm to hit Louisiana in more than a century|Sara Chodosh|August 28, 2020|Popular-Science
Build a pet bedIf you want a quick and easy pet bed, it’s hard to beat a coffee sack.
Five cool ways to upcycle old coffee sacks|Harry Guinness|August 27, 2020|Popular-Science
In such situations, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of your pet and a learned list of commands.
The right way to walk your dog|John Kennedy|August 26, 2020|Popular-Science

In that case, Schrödinger’s misfortunate pet would be either dead or alive, even if no one is looking.
Schrödinger’s Cat When Nobody Is Looking - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Daniel Sudarsky|August 26, 2020|Nautilus
Owing to its popularity as a pet, it has spread across the Pacific to China.
The Buddhist Business of Poaching Animals for Good Karma|Brendon Hong|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then I was the December Penthouse Pet, which is a huge honor.
Porn Stars on the Year in Porn: Drone Erotica, Belle Knox, and Wild Sex|Aurora Snow|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This season is all about monitoring posture, scrutinizing sun exposure, even exploring the health of a pet.
Nothing Says I Love You Like Data|The Daily Beast|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When POTUS asked Malia if she wanted to pet the turkey before he granted its reprieve, she responded appropriately: “Nah.”
GOP Flack Throws Shade at First Teens|Olivia Nuzzi|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As he describes why he plans to spend the rest of his days in Kisangani, a pet parrot gnaws on his Rolex.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis|Nina Strochlic|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When he gets quite large the boy will get tired of having him for a pet, and perhaps bring him back.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
Now and then the boy who had bought Squinty, and who was taking him home, would look around at his pet in the slatted box.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
The boy lifted up his pet, and put him back in the pen that had been especially built for the little pig.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
After a little while Yung Pak got used to these "monkey shines," and he knew that his pet would not stay away long after mealtime.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
You can see that it is five o'clock, because Big God Nqong's pet tame clock says so.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling

British Dictionary definitions for pet (1 of 4)

pet¹

/ (pɛt) /

noun

a tame animal kept in a household for companionship, amusement, etc

a person who is fondly indulged; favouriteteacher's pet

adjective

kept as a peta pet dog

of or for pet animalspet food

particularly cherished; favouritea pet theory; a pet hatred

familiar or affectionatea pet name

pet day Scot and Irish a single fine day during a period of bad weather

verb pets, petting or petted

(tr) to treat (a person, animal, etc) as a pet; pamper

(tr) to pat or fondle (an animal, child, etc)

(intr) informal (of two people) to caress each other in an erotic manner, as during lovemaking (often in the phrase heavy petting)

Derived forms of pet

petter, noun

Word Origin for pet

C16: origin unknown

British Dictionary definitions for pet (2 of 4)

pet²

/ (pɛt) /

noun

a fit of sulkiness, esp at what is felt to be a slight; pique

verb pets, petting or petted

(intr) to take offence; sulk

Word Origin for pet

C16: of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for pet (3 of 4)

PET

abbreviation for

positron emission tomography

n acronym for

potentially exempt transfer: a procedure in the UK whereby gifting property and cash is tax-free, provided that the donor lives for at least seven years after the gift is made

British Dictionary definitions for pet (4 of 4)

Pet.

/ Bible /

abbreviation for

Peter

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with pet

pet

In addition to the idiom beginning with pet

pet peeve

also see:

teacher's pet

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.