pet

1 of 8

noun (1)

1
a
: a pampered and usually spoiled child
b
: a person who is treated with unusual kindness or consideration : darling
2
: a domesticated animal kept for pleasure rather than utility

pet

2 of 8

adjective

1
: kept or treated as a pet
2
: expressing fondness or endearment
a pet name
3
: favorite
a pet project

pet

3 of 8

verb (1)

petted; petting

transitive verb

1
a
: to treat as a pet
b
: to stroke in a gentle or loving manner
2
: to treat with unusual kindness and consideration : pamper

intransitive verb

: to engage in amorous embracing, caressing, and kissing : neck
petter noun

pet

4 of 8

noun (2)

: a fit of peevishness, sulkiness, or anger
usually used in the phrase in a pet
resigned in a pet

pet

5 of 8

verb (2)

petted; petting

intransitive verb

: to take offense : sulk

pet

6 of 8

abbreviation (1)

petroleum

Pet

7 of 8

abbreviation (2)

Peter

PET

8 of 8

abbreviation (3)

positron-emission tomography

Examples of pet in a Sentence

Adjective The mayor's pet project has been the construction of a new high school. spent my free time on my pet project
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Best Cyber Week Laptop Deals Best gifts for women 2023 Best gifts for men 2023 22 best gifts for kids Best gifts for pets Copyright 2023 CyberGuy.com. Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 3 Dec. 2023 In an email exchange reviewed by The Times, the kennel sergeant, Nelson Gonzalez, said that Pickles had already had a rescue plea sent out and that he’d been featured as pet of the week by the Board of Supervisors. Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2023 Paws and Pints Holiday Party at Atlas Brew Works Bring your pets along and snap a Santa photo for the holiday card at this dog-friendly party at the brewery’s original Ivy City location. Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023 While dog lovers cherish their pets’ affection, their licks and nips can potentially spread harmful germs. Emily Anthes, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023 Over the years, the couple's pets have also included cats, frogs and even a mouse. Nasha Smith, Peoplemag, 28 Nov. 2023 There’s still one thing kicking around in your head: your poor pet is sitting at home all alone right now. David Moses, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023 These pets are valuable to them for a lot of reasons — purpose, hope, love. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2023 Though a pet is an invaluable member of your home, cleaning up after your pup or kitten can be a total nightmare. Kelsey Mulvey, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Nov. 2023
Adjective
Other pet owners are also showcased enjoying everyday moments with their animals. Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 28 Nov. 2023 The drug is not available to pet owners yet, and the F.D.A. must still review the company’s safety and manufacturing data. Emily Anthes, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023 For pet owners who are not sure if a plant poses potential harm, the ASPCA website posts lists of toxic and non-toxic plants. Amy McGorry, Fox News, 25 Nov. 2023 Plus, the polyester cover is easy to spot clean (or lint roll, to clean up pet hair) and comes off for machine washing. Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 25 Nov. 2023 From simple suckers like the Roborock’s Q5 Pro that will best pet hair, to the all-singing, all-mopping DreameBot L20 Ultra, the prices are falling as hard as these robots can suck up dirt. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 24 Nov. 2023 Pick up a spray mop for just $29 to get the house crystal clean before the holidays, along with a Hoover vacuum cleaner which is powerful enough to pick up all the dirt, debris, and pet hair littered across the floor. Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 22 Nov. 2023 Although the data are sparse, in one limited study from 1986 that surveyed pet owners, nearly 16 percent of cats reportedly fetched. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 22 Nov. 2023 The pet rescue organization Anti-Cruelty Society took to Facebook the following day, explaining that Elvis was brought to them as a stray with a fractured pelvis, which had since healed. Cathy Free, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
Verb
When two excited little girls came over to pet them, the dogs’ owner—John Mendola, a retired police officer—made pleasant small talk with the girls’ parents. Chiara Dello Joio, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2023 Cordelia and her younger sister Lily had stopped to pet a dog when the incident occurred, WISN-TV reported. Christine Pelisek, Peoplemag, 20 Oct. 2023 For starters, cowboys and cowgirls can try their hand at horseback riding, trap and skeet shooting, golfing, visit the petting farm, head out on a hike, or experience the Kicco wildlife on a hayride. Anna Mahan, Country Living, 10 Sep. 2023 The boldest cats entered huts and perhaps allowed themselves to be petted – kittens are adorable! – and, voilà, the domestic cat was born. Jonathan Losos, Discover Magazine, 10 Aug. 2023 People were picking up the alligator, petting it, all sorts of stuff. Sam Burros, Peoplemag, 29 Sep. 2023 There are oversized portraits, with names and dates of birth and death on the battlefield — young and old, men and women, pictured in combat gear and civilian clothes, dangling a grenade or petting a puppy. Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023 There are indeed two horses in the back, brought by the local cowboy collective Broken Arrow Riding Club, ready to be petted on their muzzles by fawning kids. Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, Pitchfork, 18 Sep. 2023 The dog greeted strangers who wanted to pet him with affection, and never barked. Paige Eichkorn, Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

perhaps back-formation from Middle English pety small — more at petty

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1508, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1629, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

1581, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1629, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pet was in 1508

Dictionary Entries Near pet

Cite this Entry

“Pet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pet. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

pet

1 of 4 noun
1
: someone given special treatment or consideration
teacher's pet
2
: a tame animal kept for pleasure rather than for use

pet

2 of 4 adjective
1
: kept or treated as a pet
a pet rabbit
2
: showing fondness
a pet name
3
: favorite entry 2
my pet project

pet

3 of 4 verb
petted; petting
1
2
: to treat as a pet : pamper
3
: to engage in embracing, caressing, and kissing

pet

4 of 4 noun
: a spell of sulkiness or anger

Medical Definition

PET

abbreviation
positron-emission tomography

More from Merriam-Webster on pet

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