# petting

Pronunciation: say "PET-ing" /ˈpɛtɪŋ/

## Noun

1. The act of gently stroking or patting an animal.
   - Simple: Gentle stroking or patting of an animal with the hand.
   - _A few minutes of petting left the cat purring contentedly._
   - _Visitors to the petting zoo can feed and stroke the goats._
2. The act of kissing, stroking, and similar sexual touching of another person.
   - Simple: Kissing and touching another person in a sexual way.
   - _Heavy petting was as far as the young couple was willing to go._
   - _The counselor discussed where petting ends and intercourse begins._
4. The act of indulging someone or treating them as a favorite.
   - Simple: Spoiling someone by treating them as a special favorite.
   - _The constant petting of the firstborn caused resentment among the siblings._
   - _Years of petting had left her unable to handle criticism._

## Verb

3. Present participle and gerund of pet. — present participle and gerund of pet
   - Simple: Present participle of pet. Use this form for an action happening right now.
   - _The toddler was petting the rabbit when it hopped away._
   - _Petting the horse calmed her nerves before the ride._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/petting (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).