Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

pet name

American  

noun

  • pet names
    plural
  1. a name or a term of address used to express affection for a person, thing, etc.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of pet name

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Outside is a bench dedicated to "Jennie Wren" – the family's pet name for her daughter – where Ms Moore often sits to reflect and allow memories from happier times to return.

From BBC Oct. 25, 2024

Under her relentless barrage of attention — including the pet name that gives the series its title — his life spirals out of control, and past traumas are unearthed.

From Los Angeles Times May 9, 2024

He’ll botch a gig over his annoyance at not being allowed to call a stranger by a pet name she reserves for her closest friend.

From Salon Feb. 9, 2024

In early 2021, they moved in together in Bixby, Okla. That fall, Ms. Martin proposed with a bag of gummy bears; her pet name for Ms. Wigington is Gummy Bear.

From New York Times Apr. 8, 2022

Not only does Gogol Ganguli have a pet name turned good name, but a last name turned first name.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training