petting

[pet-ing] /ˈpɛt ɪŋ/
noun
1.
Informal. kissing, caressing, and other sexual activity between partners that does not involve sexual intercourse.
Compare heavy petting.
Origin
1870-75; pet1 + -ing1

pet1

[pet] /pɛt/
noun
1.
any domesticated or tamed animal that is kept as a companion and cared for affectionately.
2.
a person especially cherished or indulged; favorite:
He was the teacher's pet.
3.
a thing particularly cherished.
adjective
4.
kept or treated as a pet:
a pet lamb.
5.
especially cherished or indulged, as a child or other person.
6.
favorite; most preferred:
a pet theory.
7.
showing fondness or affection:
to address someone with pet words.
verb (used with object), petted, petting.
8.
to fondle or caress:
to pet a dog.
9.
to treat as a pet; indulge.
verb (used without object), petted, petting.
10.
Informal. to engage in kissing, caressing, and other sexual activity with one’s partner, but not sexual intercourse.
Origin
1500-10; (noun) perhaps back formation from pet lamb cade lamb, shortened variant of petty lamb little lamb (see petty); (v.) derivative of the noun
Related forms
pettable, adjective
Synonyms
9. baby, humor, pamper, favor.

pet2

[pet] /pɛt/
noun
1.
a fit of peevishness, sulking, or bad mood.
verb (used without object)
2.
to be peevish; sulk.
Origin
1580-90; origin uncertain; cf. pettish
Examples from the web for petting
  • If there was any petting to be done, however, he chose to do it.
  • He sat there, and people were coming up to him, petting him and taking pictures.
  • But more remarkable, he pointed out, is that petting a dog elicits the same salubrious cascade in your brain.
  • Many crank up the fruit-stand fun with petting zoos and hayrides.
  • The host parents had rented a petting zoo for the day, and kids jumped gleefully in a bouncy castle out in the driveway.
  • She remembers a drive with a boyfriend who didn't want to stop after heavy petting, but she refused.
  • We know that you don't get these infections by looking at the apes or by petting their heads.
  • It is also the reason why you really must wash your hands if you visit a petting zoo.
  • Wilder habituating the mongooses by petting them and giving them an egg.
  • Tour the house, take a boat trip on the grounds, or visit the petting zoo.
British Dictionary definitions for petting

pet1

/pɛt/
noun
1.
a tame animal kept in a household for companionship, amusement, etc
2.
a person who is fondly indulged; favourite: teacher's pet
adjective
3.
kept as a pet: a pet dog
4.
of or for pet animals: pet food
5.
particularly cherished; favourite: a pet theory, a pet hatred
6.
familiar or affectionate: a pet name
7.
(Scot & Irish) pet day, a single fine day during a period of bad weather
verb pets, petting, petted
8.
(transitive) to treat (a person, animal, etc) as a pet; pamper
9.
(transitive) to pat or fondle (an animal, child, etc)
10.
(intransitive) (informal) (of two people) to caress each other in an erotic manner, as during lovemaking (often in the phrase heavy petting)
Derived Forms
petter, noun
Word Origin
C16: origin unknown

pet2

/pɛt/
noun
1.
a fit of sulkiness, esp at what is felt to be a slight; pique
verb pets, petting, petted
2.
(intransitive) to take offence; sulk
Word Origin
C16: of uncertain origin

PET

abbreviation
1.
positron emission tomography
noun acronym
2.
potentially exempt transfer: a procedure in the UK whereby gifting property and cash is tax-free, provided that the donor lives for at least seven years after the gift is made
Word Origin and History for petting
n.

1873, "fondling indulgence," verbal noun from pet (v.). Meaning "amorous caressing, foreplay" is from 1920 (in F. Scott Fitzgerald).

pet

n.

"tamed animal," originally in Scottish and northern England dialect (and exclusively so until mid-18c.), of unknown origin. Sense of "indulged child" (c.1500) is recorded slightly earlier than that of "animal kept as a favorite" (1530s), but the latter may be the primary meaning. Probably associated with or influenced by petty. As a term of endearment by 1849. Teacher's pet is attested from 1890. Pet-shop from 1928.

"peevishness, offense at feeling slighted," 1580s, in phrase take the pet "take offense." Perhaps from pet (n.1) on a similar notion to that in American English that gets my goat, but the underlying notion is obscure, and the form of the original expression makes this doubtful. This word seems to have been originally a southern English term, while pet (n.1) was northern and Scottish.

v.

1620s, "treat as a pet," from pet (n.1). Sense of "to stroke" is first found 1818. Slang sense of "kiss and caress" is from 1920 (implied in petting). Related: Petted.

petting in Medicine

PET abbr.
positron emission tomography

Slang definitions & phrases for petting

petting

noun

Amorous caressing and kissing: Petting is necking with territorial concessions (1924+)

Related Terms

heavy petting


pet

noun

Darling; sweetheart; doll: It's you, pet! How frightfully tickety-boo! (1755+)

verb

To kiss and caress: torrid hugging, smooching, and petting (1924+)

Related Terms

heavy petting


Related Abbreviations for petting

PET

  1. polyethylene terephthalate
  2. positron emission tomography
Idioms and Phrases with petting

pet

In addition to the idiom beginning with pet also see: teacher's pet