Pet

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /pɛt/

Definitions

1. A domesticated animal kept for companionship and affection rather than for work or food
2. A domesticated animal kept primarily for companionship and enjoyment rather than for any practical purpose or financial gain
3. An animal tamed and kept mainly for friendship and comfort rather than utility

Etymology: The noun "pet" first appeared in northern English dialect, borrowed from Scots, where it meant a tamed animal kept as a companion, a darling, or a spoiled child. Its likely source is Scottish Gaelic "peata," meaning much the same, which in turn goes back to Middle Irish "petta" or "peta," a word meaning lap-dog. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, and it may reach back to a language spoken in the British Isles before the Indo-European languages arrived. The sense of "pet" as a favourite or darling is older than its sense as an animal. Scots speakers used it of a beloved child or a cosseted person, and the animal meaning grew out of that idea of something petted and indulged. The verb, to pet an animal or a person, was formed later from the noun. Lookalike words such as "peat," meaning darling or woman, are probably unrelated, which makes the family tree of this one hard to pin down.

Synonyms: animal, companion, domestic animal, favorite, cherished

Antonyms: wild animal, stranger