What does pet mean?

Definitions for pet
pɛtpet

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word pet.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. petnoun

    a domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement

  2. darling, favorite, favourite, pet, dearie, deary, duckynoun

    a special loved one

  3. petnoun

    a fit of petulance or sulkiness (especially at what is felt to be a slight)

  4. positron emission tomography, PETadjective

    using a computerized radiographic technique to examine the metabolic activity in various tissues (especially in the brain)

  5. favored, favorite(a), favourite(a), best-loved, pet, preferred, preferentverb

    preferred above all others and treated with partiality

    "the favored child"

  6. petverb

    stroke or caress gently

    "pet the lamb"

  7. petverb

    stroke or caress in an erotic manner, as during lovemaking

GCIDE

  1. petnoun

    Any animal kept as a companion, usually in or around one's home, typically domesticated and cared for attentively and often affectionately. Distinguished from animals raised for food or to perform useful tasks, as a draft animal or a farm animal.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Petnoun

    Etymology: This word is of doubtful etymology; from despit, Fr. or impetus, Lat. perhaps it may be derived some way from petit, as it implies only a little fume or fret.

    If all the world
    Should in a pet of temperance feed on pulse,
    Drink the clear stream, and nothing wear but freeze,
    Th’ all-giver would be unthankt, would be unprais’d. John Milton.

    If we cannot obtain every vain thing we ask, our next business is to take pet at the refusal. Roger L'Estrange.

    Life, given for noble purposes, must not be thrown up in a pet, nor whined away in love. Collier.

    They cause the proud their visits to delay,
    And send the godly in a pet to pray. Alexander Pope.

    Thomas Hanmer.

Wikipedia

  1. Pet

    A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive appearances, intelligence and relatable personalities, but some pets may be taken in on an altruistic basis (such as a stray animal) and accepted by the owner regardless of these characteristics. Two of the most popular pets are dogs and cats; the technical term for a cat lover is an ailurophile and a dog lover a cynophile. Other animals commonly kept include: rabbits; ferrets; pigs; rodents, such as gerbils, hamsters, chinchillas, rats, mice, and guinea pigs; avian pets, such as parrots, passerines and fowls; reptile pets, such as turtles, alligators, crocodiles, lizards, and snakes; aquatic pets, such as fish, freshwater and saltwater snails, amphibians like frogs and salamanders; and arthropod pets, such as tarantulas and hermit crabs. Small pets may be grouped together as pocket pets, while the equine and bovine group include the largest companion animals. Pets provide their owners (or "guardians") both physical and emotional benefits. Walking a dog can provide both the human and the dog with exercise, fresh air and social interaction. Pets can give companionship to people who are living alone or elderly adults who do not have adequate social interaction with other people. There is a medically approved class of therapy animals, mostly dogs or cats, that are brought to visit confined humans, such as children in hospitals or elders in nursing homes. Pet therapy utilizes trained animals and handlers to achieve specific physical, social, cognitive or emotional goals with patients. People most commonly get pets for companionship, to protect a home or property or because of the perceived beauty or attractiveness of the animals. A 1994 Canadian study found that the most common reasons for not owning a pet were lack of ability to care for the pet when traveling (34.6%), lack of time (28.6%) and lack of suitable housing (28.3%), with dislike of pets being less common (19.6%). Some scholars, ethicists and animal rights organizations have raised concerns over keeping pets because of the lack of autonomy and the objectification of non-human animals.

ChatGPT

  1. pet

    A pet is a domesticated animal kept for companionship or pleasure. They often live inside the home and are cared for by people. Pets can include a wide variety of animals such as dogs, cats, birds, fish, rabbits, hamsters, horses, and some species of reptiles or amphibians. The owners of pets usually provide them with food, shelter, and healthcare. In many cases, pets are considered part of the family and can provide emotional support and companionship to their owners.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Petnoun

    a cade lamb; a lamb brought up by hand

  2. Petnoun

    any person or animal especially cherished and indulged; a fondling; a darling; often, a favorite child

  3. Petnoun

    a slight fit of peevishness or fretfulness

  4. Petadjective

    petted; indulged; admired; cherished; as, a pet child; a pet lamb; a pet theory

  5. Petverb

    to treat as a pet; to fondle; to indulge; as, she was petted and spoiled

  6. Petverb

    to be a pet

  7. Etymology: [Perh. for petty cock.]

Wikidata

  1. Pet

    A pet is an animal kept for a person's company, as opposed to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals and sport animals which are kept for economic reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their attractive appearances and their loyal or playful personalities. Their pedigree may also be a factor. In some cases pets may also provide their owners with benefits, such as providing companionship to elderly adults who do not have adequate social interaction with other people. While some people believe in the physical and emotional benefits of owning a pet, scientists are currently working to verify these ideas with medical studies. There is now a medically approved class of "therapy animals", mostly dogs, that are brought to visit confined humans. Pet therapy utilizes trained animals and handlers to achieve specific physical, social, cognitive, and emotional goals with patients. Walking a dog can provide both the owner and the dog with exercise, fresh air, and social interaction. The most popular pets are dogs and cats, but there are also rodent pets, such as gerbils, hamsters, chinchillas, fancy rats, and guinea pigs; avian pets, such as canaries, parakeets, and parrots; reptile pets, such as turtles, lizards and snakes; aquatic pets, such as tropical fish and frogs; and arthropod pets, such as tarantulas and hermit crabs.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Pet

    pet, n. any animal tame and fondled: a word of endearment often used to young children: a favourite child: a wilful young woman—also Peat.—adj. indulged: cherished: favourite.—v.t. to treat as a pet: to fondle:—pr.p. pet′ting; pa.t. and pa.p. pet′ted. [Celt., as Ir. peat, Gael. peata.]

  2. Pet

    pet, n. a sudden fit of peevishness or slight passion: ill-humour.—v.i. to be peevish, to sulk. [From the above word.]

Suggested Resources

  1. pet

    Song lyrics by pet -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by pet on the Lyrics.com website.

  2. PET

    What does PET stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the PET acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

Surnames Frequency by Census Records

  1. PET

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Pet is ranked #97671 in terms of the most common surnames in America.

    The Pet surname appeared 186 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Pet.

    48.9% or 91 total occurrences were White.
    35.4% or 66 total occurrences were Asian.
    8.6% or 16 total occurrences were Black.
    4.3% or 8 total occurrences were of two or more races.
    2.6% or 5 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'pet' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4720

  2. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'pet' in Nouns Frequency: #1943

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce pet?

How to say pet in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of pet in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of pet in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of pet in a Sentence

  1. Christa Chadwick:

    If the cost of an emergency veterinary visit or serious illness would be a financial strain, consider investing in pet health insurance while your pet is healthy or saving money in a separate account specifically for these costs.

  2. Angelica Varela:

    As conservation work, I mean were doing this so that eventually we dont have to keep doing it. Angelica Varela drove up from Phoenix with Angelica Varela friend, Brandi Kapos, who is an Olive Garden waitress and an Arizona State Univerisity conservation biology graduate. Shes looking to return to school to get a masters degree in Geographic Information Systems. Before Angelica Varela and Brandi Kapos got their assignment from Jennifer Cordova for the night, they said they had energy drinks and candy. Angelica Varela said Angelica Varela was pumped. With freezing temperates on the first night of the search, around 10 of the volunteers showed up, including Arizona State Univerisity biology graduates Angelica Varela and Brandi Kapos. ( Fox News) Jennifer Cordova said the goal is to get the black-footed ferret off the endangered species list. Fox News important because wildlife dont have a say -- theydont have a voice out there, Holly Hicks said. So, its people like us who manage and try to keep that voice out there and people aware. Our passion comes from a lot of places. We love animals. We want to see wildlife in the future for future generations. Only found in North America, this wild animal differs from the European pet ferrets that are domesticated. The black-footed ferret was once thought extinct until 18 were found in 1981. Since then, recovery and breeding efforts have helped the black-footed ferret population grow. I kind of feel like its our duty.

  3. Jenny Karpen:

    He was getting his groceries. Some of it was food, and some of it was for his pet.

  4. Inga Fricke:

    Flying with any pet in a cargo hold is something we caution pet owners against, things could potentially go wrong.

  5. Prosecutor Kym Worthy:

    It is a gross understatement to say that this case is harrowing example of irresponsible pet ownership.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

pet#1#1803#10000

Translations for pet

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

  • حيوان اليف, حيوان منزليArabic
  • mascotaCatalan, Valencian
  • domácí mazlíčekCzech
  • kæle, kæledyrDanish
  • Heimtier, Haustier, streicheln, Pet, LieblingGerman
  • karesiĝi, karesi, dombesto, dorlotbesto, hejmbestoEsperanto
  • mascota, acariciarSpanish
  • حیوان خانگیPersian
  • lemmikkieläin, lellikki, silittää, lemmikki, hyväilläFinnish
  • animal familier, caresser, se peloter, chouchou, animal de compagnie, peloterFrench
  • peataIrish
  • חיית מחמדHebrew
  • पालतूHindi
  • simogat, házi kedvencHungarian
  • membelaiIndonesian
  • accarezzare, animale domesticoItalian
  • ペット, 撫でるJapanese
  • შინაური ცხოველიGeorgian
  • ಪಿಇಟಿKannada
  • 애완동물, 펫, 愛玩動物Korean
  • petLatin
  • mōkai, maimoaMāori
  • милува, се гали, домашен миленик, мињон, гали, домашно милениче, љубимецMacedonian
  • haiwan peliharaanMalay
  • huisdier, aaien, strelenDutch
  • kjæle, kjærtegne, kjæledyr, kose medNorwegian
  • łį́į́ʼNavajo, Navaho
  • zwierzę domowePolish
  • acariciar, animal de estimaçãoPortuguese
  • mângâiaRomanian
  • ласкать, питомец, любимец, ласкаться, гладить, домашнее животноеRussian
  • љубимац, mezimac, миловати, миљеник, miljenik, maziti, мазити, milovati, ljubimac, мезимацSerbo-Croatian
  • husdjur, smeka, keldjur, sällskapsdjur, klappaSwedish
  • పెంపుడు జంతువుTelugu
  • پالتو جانورUrdu
  • nimülVolapük
  • 宠物Chinese
  • isilwane sasekhaya, ukunto, ukuntokoZulu

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"pet." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 15 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/pet>.

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