noun

petting

PEH-tihng

Petting (noun) means the act of gently stroking or patting an animal. Example: “Kids lined up at the petting zoo to stroke the goats.”

noun

The act of gently stroking or patting an animal.

"Kids lined up at the petting zoo to stroke the goats."

Kissing and touching someone in a sexual but non-penetrative way.

"The teenagers were caught petting in the back row of the cinema."

How to use petting

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither affectionately touching an animal, or physically fooling around with a romantic partner short of sex.

Common pairings

petting zoo heavy petting

Word forms

pettings plural

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Kids lined up at the _____ zoo to stroke the goats.

Synonyms

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kissing hugging necking cuddling fondling caressing snuggling smooching

Related words

kissing hugging caressing cuddling fondling necking snuggling

Rhymes for petting

setting wetting getting letting betting netting vetting abetting fretting upsetting resetting forgetting

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Frequently asked questions

What does “petting” mean?

The word “petting” means the act of gently stroking or patting an animal. In plain terms, either affectionately touching an animal, or physically fooling around with a romantic partner short of sex.

How do you pronounce “petting”?

“Petting” is pronounced PEH-tihng (/ˈpɛtɪŋ/ in IPA).

How do you use “petting” in a sentence?

Here is “petting” used in a sentence: “Kids lined up at the petting zoo to stroke the goats.”

What part of speech is “petting”?

“Petting” is a noun.

How many meanings does “petting” have?

“Petting” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the act of gently stroking or patting an animal.

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kissing hugging caressing cuddling fondling necking snuggling