I. pet 1 /pet/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: Perhaps from petty 'small' ]
1 . [countable] an animal such as a cat or a dog which you keep and care for at home:
They have two pets - a cat and a dog.
We weren't allowed to keep pets at school.
Rabbits make good pets.
pet rabbit/bird etc
He got bitten by his pet rabbit.
pet food
a pet shop
2 . British English spoken used when speaking to someone you like or love:
Don’t cry, pet.
⇨ TEACHER’S PET
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have a pet
Do you have any pets?
▪ keep a pet (=have one in your home)
Tenants aren’t allowed to keep pets.
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Many species of parrot can be kept as pets.
▪ make good/ideal etc pets (=be good/very good as pets)
Do rabbits make good pets?
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + pet
▪ a family pet
These dogs make an ideal family pet.
▪ a domestic/household pet
Cats and other domestic pets give their owners a lot of pleasure.
▪ an exotic pet (=from a foreign country and not seen or found very often)
Often the owners do not know how to care for these exotic pets.
■ pet + NOUN
▪ a pet dog/cat/rabbit etc
I used to have a pet rabbit when I was young.
▪ pet food
cans of pet food
▪ a pet shop
Your local pet shop will have a variety of different collars.
▪ a pet owner
During hot summer days, pet owners should keep their pet indoors.
II. pet 2 BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle petted , present participle petting ) [transitive]
to touch and move your hand gently over someone, especially an animal or a child ⇨ stroke :
Our cat loves being petted.
⇨ ↑ petting
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THESAURUS
■ touch somebody gently or lovingly
▪ stroke to move your hand gently over something, especially in a loving way:
She stroked the child’s hair.
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Our cat won’t let people stroke him.
▪ pat to touch an animal or child lightly several times, with your hand flat:
He knelt down to pat the dog.
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She patted the little boy’s head.
▪ pet to touch and move your hand gently over someone, especially an animal or child:
The goats, pigs, sheep, and cows here allow you to pet them.
▪ caress /kəˈres/ to gently touch a part of someone’s body in a loving way:
a mother caressing her child
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She caressed his cheek.
▪ fondle to touch a part of someone’s body in a loving or sexual way – use this especially about touching someone in a sexual way that is not wanted:
He tried to fondle her and she immediately pulled away from him.
III. pet 3 BrE AmE adjective
1 . pet project/theory/subject a plan, idea, or subject that you particularly like or are interested in
2 . pet hate British English , pet peeve American English something that you strongly dislike because it always annoys you:
TV game shows are one of my pet hates.
⇨ ↑ pet name