petting
/ˈpɛtɪŋ/
verb
- Present participle of pet; to touch or stroke an animal or person gently.
- The zookeeper was petting the baby giraffe.
- She is petting her dog behind the ears.
- He kept petting the cat until it started purring loudly.
noun
- The act of touching or stroking an animal gently as a sign of affection.
- The children spent the afternoon at the farm, enjoying the petting of the soft rabbits.
- Gentle petting can help calm a nervous dog.
- She found the petting of the cat very relaxing after a long day.
- Kissing and touching in a romantic or sexual way, but not full sexual intercourse.
- The teenagers were caught petting in the back of the movie theater.
- They spent the evening petting on the couch while watching a film.
- In the old movie, the couple's petting was shown very discreetly.