pet

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   An animal that you keep at home for company and pleasure.

   We have two pets: a dog and a cat.

2. 2
   verb

   To gently touch or stroke an animal with your hand.

   I love to pet cute puppies.

3. 3
   adj

   Favourite or special to you.

   Recycling is her pet project at work.

Common collocations

• pet cat Adjective + noun
• pet dog Adjective + noun

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.

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