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

Noun (1) the teacher's pet was always getting special privileges Adjective The mayor's pet project has been the construction of a new high school. spent my free time on my pet project Verb (1) a cat who loves to be petted Noun (2) the teenager stalked off in a pet after being refused permission to go the movies
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
To date, no illness of pets or humans related to this lot has been reported. Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Oct. 2025 For places where water can’t be drained, like ponds and fountains, use mosquito dunks or bits that contain bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, BTI, a naturally occurring bacterium that kills mosquito larvae but is harmless to pets, birds and other wildlife. Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Its spray and scrub function cleans tough stains, especially unwanted pet accidents. Melody Kazel, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025 Aside from navigating the ups and downs of pet health and behavior, many pet parents struggle to remain in sync with their vet between annual checkups. Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
The petting farm is one of the ways Cornucopia Farm weaves agricultural education into fun activities. Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Oct. 2025 Wilson, 29, was sitting on the ground, petting the two pups, when suddenly the Boerboel lunged and latched onto her nose. Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pet

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pet. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

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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