pet

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   An animal kept as a companion or otherwise for pleasure, rather than for some practical…

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

2. 2

   Something kept as a companion, including inanimate objects (pet rock, pet plant, etc.).

   • Papyrus: This is my brother's pet rock. He always forgets to feed it. As usual, I have to take responsibility.
3. 3

   One who is excessively loyal to a superior and receives preferential treatment.

4. ›+ 20 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      Any person or animal especially cherished and indulged

      Any person or animal especially cherished and indulged; a darling.

      • the love of cronies, pets, and favourites
   2. 5

      To stroke or fondle (an animal).

      • I really love to pet cute puppies.
   3. 6

      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 himself.
   4. 7

      To keep or treat (an animal) as a pet.

   5. 8

      To treat (someone) as a pet

      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.
   6. 9

      To be a pet.

   7. 10

      To be peevish

      To be peevish; to sulk.

      • He sure is queasie stomach't that must pet, and puke, at such a trivial circumstance
   8. 11

      Favourite

      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.
   9. 12

      Kept or treated as a pet.

      • pet rock
   10. 13

       Good

       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.”
   11. 14

       A fit of petulance, a sulk, arising from the impression that one has been offended or…

       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 fire in a pet.
       • 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 retorts.
       • Buck Mulligan sat down in a sudden pet.
   12. 15

       To be petulant or upset

       To be petulant or upset; to have a problem with.

       • Got suttin' in the glove compartment and I won't pet to use it
   13. 16

       Abbreviation of petition.

   14. 17

       A term of endearment usually applied to women and children.

   15. 18

       Initialism of polyethylene terephthalate.

   16. 19

       Acronym of positron emission tomography.

   17. 20

       Acronym of paired-end tag.

   18. 21

       Acronym of personal electronic transactor, a line of personal computers produced by…

       Acronym of personal electronic transactor, a line of personal computers produced by Commodore International.

       • Why is the order of graphical characters in the PETSCII table so seemingly haphazard? The answer is that arrangement was dictated by the PET keyboard design, a hardware-driven decision.
   19. 22

       Initialism of perineal ectopic testis (a rare congenital anomaly of the testis).

   20. 23

       Initialism of Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

       • But Wright takes a rather contrarian position about the impact of emotionally charged Trudeaumania on PET’s astonishing political rise in 1968.

The neighborhood

• synonymcompanion animal
• synonymgrope
• synonymtouch up
• synonymfondle
• synonymcosset
• synonympamper
• synonymfeel upto stroke or fondle amorously
• synonymcoddleto treat as a pet