pet
/pɛt/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.45 in modern English
5
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An animal kept as a companion or otherwise for pleasure, rather than for some practical benefit or use.
noun
One who is excessively loyal to a superior and receives preferential treatment.
Example Sentences
- "family pet, pet cat, pet dog, pet store"
- "My dog Fido has been a loyal pet for ten years."
- "pet plant, pet rock"
- "Papyrus: This is my brother's pet rock. He always forgets to feed it. As usual, I have to take responsibility."
- "At first she sat silent; but that could not last: she had resolved to make a pet of her little cousin, as she would have him to be; and she commenced stroking his curls, and kissing his cheek, and offering him tea in her saucer, like a baby."
- "the love of cronies, pets, and favourites"
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in People.