## Meanings
1. An animal that you keep at home for company and pleasure.
2. To gently touch or stroke an animal with your hand.
3. Favourite or special to you.

## Examples
- We have two pets: a dog and a cat.
- I love to pet cute puppies.
- Recycling is her pet project at work.

## Synonyms
- cosset
- fondle
- grope
- pamper

## Derived Forms
- antipet
- cyberpet
- fpet
- housepet
- overpet
- pelfie
- petcare
- petcock
- petfluencer
- petfood
- pethood
- petiquette

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: pet
- Root: peata
- Root: petta

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Pet was 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. In present-day English it covers an animal that you keep at home for company and pleasure, to gently touch or stroke an animal with your hand, and favourite or special to you. The wider family includes derived forms such as antipet, cyberpet, fpet, housepet, overpet.

## Topics
- Animals

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pet

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