What does "pet" mean?
An animal kept as a companion or otherwise for pleasure, rather than for some practical benefit or use.
Pet
/pɛt/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An animal kept as a companion or otherwise for pleasure, rather than for some practical benefit or use.
- Grammar: pet is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: companion animal, darling, favorite, address.
- Useful contrasts: wild animals, wild beast, abandon.
- Usage evidence: I buried my dog at the pet cemetery.
How to use "pet"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pet" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "pet" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "pet" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "pet" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "pet" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "companion animal" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "pet", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An animal kept as a companion or otherwise for pleasure, rather than for some practical benefit or use.
- 2 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."
- 3 Abbreviation of petition. abbreviation, alt-of
- 4 A term of endearment usually applied to women and children. Geordie, Ireland
- 5 Initialism of polyethylene terephthalate. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable
"An effort was made to fit the flexible tube at least 3 mm deep onto the vasculature; (2) for the remaining systems, 3D-printed polyethylene terephthalate (PET) reservoir blocks were manufactured by PrintPlace using FDM technology. The additively manufactured PET reservoir blocks were previously applied and proven to effectively circulate the agent through the healing network [6]."
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 using a computerized radiographic technique to examine the metabolic activity in various tissues (especially in the brain) wordnet
- 7 Something kept as a companion, including inanimate objects (pet rock, pet plant, etc.). broadly
"Papyrus: This is my brother's pet rock. He always forgets to feed it. As usual, I have to take responsibility."
- 8 Acronym of positron emission tomography. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, countable, uncountable
"He [Rob Beanlands] is a founding director of the National Cardiac PET Centre, the first facility in Canada dedicated to the use of PET (positron-emission tomography) as a non-invasive cardiac diagnostic tool. PET technology can help determine whether areas of the heart muscle are receiving enough blood, if there is heart damage or scar tissue in the heart, or if there is a buildup of abnormal substances in the heart muscle."
- 9 a domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement wordnet
- 10 One who is excessively loyal to a superior and receives preferential treatment.
- 11 Acronym of paired-end tag. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, countable
- 12 a fit of petulance or sulkiness (especially at what is felt to be a slight) wordnet
- 13 Any person or animal especially cherished and indulged; a darling.
"At first she sat silent; but that could not last: she had resolved to make a pet of her little cousin, as she would have him to be; and she commenced stroking his curls, and kissing his cheek, and offering him tea in her saucer, like a baby."
- 14 Acronym of personal electronic transactor, a line of personal computers produced by Commodore International. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, countable, historical
"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."
- 15 a special loved one wordnet
- 16 Initialism of perineal ectopic testis (a rare congenital anomaly of the testis). abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To stroke or fondle (an animal). transitive
"I really love to pet cute puppies."
- 2 To be petulant or upset; to have a problem with.
"Got suttin' in the glove compartment and I won't pet to use it"
- 3 stroke or caress in an erotic manner, as during lovemaking wordnet
- 4 To stroke or fondle (another person) amorously. informal, intransitive, transitive
"We started petting each other the moment we were alone."
- 5 stroke or caress gently wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To treat as a pet; to fondle; to indulge. dated, transitive
"His daughter was petted and spoiled."
- 7 To be a pet. archaic, intransitive
- 8 To be peevish; to sulk. archaic, intransitive
"He sure is queasie stomach't that must pet, and puke, at such a trivial circumstance"
Adjective
- 1 Favourite; cherished; the focus of one's (usually positive) attention. figuratively, not-comparable
"a pet project"
- 2 Kept or treated as a pet. literally, not-comparable
"pet rock"
- 3 Good; ideal. not-comparable, obsolete
"“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.”"
Adjective
- 1 preferred above all others and treated with partiality wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 Initialism of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Canadian, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
"But Wright takes a rather contrarian position about the impact of emotionally charged Trudeaumania on PET’s astonishing political rise in 1968."
Antonyms
Example
"I buried my dog at the pet cemetery."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pet"?
Common synonyms include: companion animal, darling, favorite, address, admired, adored.
How do you use "pet" in a sentence?
I buried my dog at the pet cemetery.
How do you pronounce "pet"?
Pronounced /pɛt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Originally northern dialectal, from Scots pet (“an animal that has been tamed and is kept as a pet; a darling or favourite; a petted or spoiled child”), probably from Scottish Gaelic peata (“pet, tamed animal, spoiled child”), from Middle Irish petta, peta (“pet, lap-dog”), of uncertain origin, possibly from a pre-Indo-European substrate. Compare also peat (“pet, darling, woman”), which is likely not related. The verb is derived from the noun.
Etymology 2
Clipping of petulance.
Etymology 3
Clipping of petition.
Etymology 4
Clipping of petal.
Etymology 5
The name of the computer (noun sense 4) derives from the 1970s pet rock fad; the acronym was invented afterwards.